I'm Not a Fighter
by Bad Mr. 7
Summary: In a world where only Kunoichi exist, Naruto was happy to dream of being a healer. Life, however, is not without its tragedies, and the young boy will end up journeying across the land in search of himself. His journey, however, leads him into some awkward situations after all what's .
1. I wasn't Brutally Murdered

A new story I've been writing for a bit now, so I thought now's as good a time as any to put it out there. Now before I hear any one saying I'm copycat, well you're partially right, but I asked **Nightmares Around Winter **to use his idea, and I made it my own in a way. So none of those "you suck copycat comments." I'm writing this fic because I enjoy his so much and I don't like waiting, so I thought hey I can write, so I'll write my own. So just, you know, enjoy the story.

XXXxXXX

**Prologue: I Wasn't Brutally Murdered**

Nine year old Uzumaki Naruto sighed as he swung by his lonesome in the park. All his friends had started training at the kunoichi academy, so he wasbored most days with no one to play with. He thought about visiting one of the clan compounds, but didn't want to bother anyone, though most of them wouldn't have minded having the blond cutie over.

"What to do?" Naruto asked no one for the umpteenth time, wishing that he could join his friends in the academy. He knew that was impossible though, since boys couldn't produce or mold the chakra necessary to be a kunoichi. Women had been in charge as long as anyone could remember and it wasn't going to change anytime soon. Of course he didn't really care about any of that, he was just ticked off because all his friends were girls and he was so miserably bored.

Naruto had often asked himself why all of the men in the village seemed to detest him, and why the boys never liked hanging out with him. Then after a while he decided he didn't care how they felt because he had people who did like him. Though, this led him to ask why the women of the village were in the opposite camp, but again he decided to stop asking and enjoy the fortune Lady Luck gave him. What he didn't know was that all the kunoichi clans were making plans to snatch the boy up when he was older. Someone would have adopted him already, if the clans had been able to stop bickering over who was the best choice.

"I wonder if Inu-chan can play? Maybe she'd take me to Ichiraku?" Naruto wasn't completely aware of the effect he had women, with his big blues, and cute face, not to mention the innocent routine that endeared him even further. "No, she's probably busy with some super-secret kunoichi mission. Hmm, Kabuta-chan might be at the hospital today," With that in mind the boy set off to the hospital.

Naruto had always wanted to protect everyone that mattered to him, but he could never fight beside them, so a year ago Naruto found his own way to help. A year ago Naruto announced his intentions to become a doctor at the hospital, and asked them to teach him. That plan went out the window when the nurses informed him that he still needed some schooling before he could begin studying medicine. Of course, the nurses couldn't stand to see the poor boy so dejected, so they sent him to the Chief of Medicine. She ordered her daughter, Kabuta, to teach Naruto about medicinal herbs, and first aid. He had learned a lot in the past year and he could remember the first time he put his skills to use.

xxxXxxx

Naruto walked through the park, happily full from his lunch with the Aburame clan head, Shibi, and her six-year old daughter, Shina. Shina was fun to play with, as she would often drag Naruto around and show him all the bugs hanging around the compound. Naruto, like most boys his age, thought all the creepy crawlies were a barrel of fun. It made her happy everytime Naruto told her how awesome she was, and it made Shibi, who was watching over them, even happier. After leaving their home, he was looking for something else to do when he spotted a cut and bruised girl resting on a bench.

"Nee-chan!" Izumi had been taking a small break after an exhausting training session when she heard someone cry out. Looking up she saw a young blond boy rush to her side. Recognizing him as the Naruto boy some of her fellow ANBU talked about, she was going to ask what he wanted, but stopped when he pulled out a first aid kit. "Nee-chan, you shouldn't walk around all messed up like this," Naruto chastised as he cleaned her cuts.

"So who are you?" Izumi asked as she observed the young boy bandage her up. She had to admit that the diligent way he went about it was quite cute.

"Naruto, Naruto Uzumaki," Naruto replied as he put the last bandage on her cheek and kissed it, "There."

Izumi smiled and quirked a brow, "Why did you do that?"

"Kabuta-chan said I should kiss the last bandage I put on a girl," Naruto replied earnestly, "Did I do it wrong?"

Izumi laughed and shook her head, "No, no it's fine. So Naruto-kun, what are you doing here today?"

"I was looking for something to do," he answered, packing his away his kit, "I'm super bored."

"Really well maybe I-"

GRUMBLE!

The small blush that spread on her cheeks made Naruto giggle, "You must be pretty hungry, huh, Nee-chan?" Naruto dug through his pack and pulled out a bento, "Here, Shibi-kaa-san packed this for me, but I think you need it more."

Not one to turn down a free meal, Izumi accepted the boxed lunch, with a small thank you, and dug in. Naruto sat down next to her, and looked around the park while he waited for her to finish. Being his usual hyperactive self this got boring really quickly, so he took a moment to observe his new friend. He was sure that under all the bruises and cuts she was quite pretty. Her sharp facial features contrasted nicely with her feminine curves. Coal black eyes looked out through long lashes, the tear troughs running down her face adding a bit of uniqueness, and her long black, which looked well cared for, pulled back in its low ponytail. Looking down, Naruto noticed the odd mask clipped onto her hip, and without realizing it, he was already reaching out for it.

"You shouldn't take things that aren't yours, you know," Izumi said smirking at him.

"Ah, s-sorry!" Naruto apologized, "I-I just wanted to see your mask."

"All you had to do was ask, Naruto-kun," Izumi chuckled as she handed Naruto her weasel mask, and returned to her meal.

"Cool! It's just like the one Inu-chan wears," Naruto said he looked the mask over, "Hey, nee-chan, are you just like Inu-chan?"

Izumi finished her meal and turned to the boy, "Yes, I am, but enough about that. Since you fed me I'm in your debt, so Naruto-kun, what do you want?"

"Let's play kunoichi!" Izumi laughed and agreed; his enthusiasm about glorified tag was refreshing, "Alright! You're it!" The rest of the afternoon was filled with gentle laughter, and peals of excitement. Izumi was surprised to find herself relaxing, and for the first time in a long time she didn't feel the pressures of her life. When Naruto had tired himself out they sat on the bench, watching the sun begin to set.

"Naruto-kun, what do you want to do with your life?" Izumi asked, keeping her eyes on the sunset.

Naruto looked at her, unsure of where this question came from, but it didn't take long to come up with his answer. "I wanted to be a kunoichi, to protect everyone I love, but it's impossible for me." A sad, dejected look filled his eyes, but it was swept away by a roaring fire, "so I decided to be a doctor, the best in the world! I might not be able to keep everyone from getting hurt, but this way I can still save them."

Izumi smiled as she heard his declaration, and decided to make a promise of her own. "Naruto-kun," Izumi said, holding out her pinky, "Let's make a promise."

"A promise?"

"Yes, a promise to never stop protecting those we love."

Naruto's smile outshined the sun, as he hooked his pinky around hers, "It's the promise of a lifetime!"

"The promise of a lifetime," Izumi replied, with a smile of her own. Then stood and dusted herself off, "Well, Naruto-kun, I'm sure you're hungry. How about I treat you to dinner, your choice."

"Oh, well actually-"

"Naruto-kun!" Naruto's head whipped around to see Hana Inuzuka jogging up to them, "I was hoping I'd find you here."

"Hana-nee-chan, I was-oh right! Hana Inuzuka this is umm?" Naruto scratched his head, realizing something quite important, "Sorry Nee-chan, I forgot to ask for your name."

"Izumi Uchiha. I've heard of you," Hana said holding out her hand.

"Only good things I hope. It's nice to meet you Inuzuka-san," Izumi said shaking Hana's hand, "so Naruto-kun, where do you want to go?"

"I'm sorry Uchiha-san, Naruto-kun already has dinner plan with my family," Hana said taking Naruto's hand.

"Oh, well, I'd hate to intrude," Izumi replied, then she shot Hana a sly look. She was enjoying her time with Naruto and didn't want it interrupted, "Of course, it is Naruto-kun's choice."

"Of course it is," Hana replied, surprised by how quickly this girl ticked her off, "Which is why he is coming with me."

"Is he now?"

Naruto began to sweat as he felt something bad brewing between the girls, "I'm sorry Nee-chan, but I'm going with Hana-nee-chan." The tiny sad glint in Izumi's eyes made Naruto explain, "I made a promise and Teuchi-san says a man never breaks a promise."

Hana giggled and Izumi smiled at his antics, "I understand Naruto, I wouldn't want you to break a promise."

xxxXxxx

Naruto smiled at the memory, he really did have a good life. "Excuse me, young man?" a rather plain looking women called out and Naruto had to point at himself to be sure. When she nodded, he decided to find out what she could want.

"What is it Onee-chan?"

"I was hoping you could help me move this heavy box into my store?"

"Of course," Naruto answered, always happy to help those in need. If only he had noticed the vicious smirk on the woman's face. "Hey Onee-chan I don't see a-uh!" Naruto dropped to the floor like a sack of potatoes. The woman quickly bound, gagged, and threw Naruto into a sack. Then she transformed her cover, a man who came to the village for supplies, and carried him off.

xxxXxxx

Five miles outside of Konoha was a waterfall that connected to a river that ran out of Fire Country. It was here the kunoichi dropped the sack before a tall, well-dressed man, "Here he is. Now, where's my pay?"

"Here," The man carelessly threw a bag full of coins at her feet. All his focus was on the sack, and when he saw the boy inside a wicked smile danced on his lips, "Finally."

The kunoichi, now revealing a scratched headband from Suna, headed off into the forest. She spared one last glance at the boy, "Sorry kid."

The man shook Naruto awake, sick joy swelling in his heart at the terrified light in the boy's eyes. "Do you know who I am, monster? My family, my wife and daughter, you killed them that night. You crushed them like they were ants, like they were nothing!"

Naruto tried to scurry away, but the man seized Naruto by the neck and threw him to the cliff's edge, "But they meant the world to me!" The man pulled a dagger from his belt, tears in his eyes, "Sachiko you were so beautiful, so kind…"

Naruto had never been so scared; tears and snot ran down his face as he tried to scurry away. "Where are you going, monster?" the man spat bringing his foot down on Naruto's leg.

"Mmrgh!" Naruto screamed through his gag, and small pathetic whimpers followed.

"Tomiko, can you see daddy now? Daddy is going to make everything right." The man turned Naruto over and straddled him, "This is for the village," and drove that dagger down.

Naruto had never felt so much pain in his life; it surged through his whole body, crippling and agonizing.

"This is for Sachiko!"

"Mmrgh!"

"And Tomiko!"

"Hmm."

"And this is for me!"

"…" It hurt so much he couldn't muster anymore cries. As more and more blood pooled under Naruto, his slipped in and out of consciousness, _"I don't want to go…please someone, save me…"_

Finally satisfied with his work, the man rose to his feet, making sure to leave his dagger in the demon. "Enjoy these last few moments on earth, monster," with that he kicked Naruto over the edge, down walked away.

The small body crashed into the water and flew down the raging river. The last thing Naruto felt was the river's chill seeping into his bones as it carried him to the end of his life.

xxxXxxx

The man walked through the village back to the small settlement that would serve as his alibi. That idiotic kunoichi council wouldn't suspect a thing.

THUMP!

The man's heart jumped into his throat as a familiar woman was dropped in front him by an enraged Hokage, and three equally furious ANBU squads.

"Is this him?" Hiroko asked.

"Y-yes…" The woman coughed out.

"Good," Hiroko snapped her fingers, "Neko."

"Hai," Neko approached the woman drawing her sword.

"W-Wait I kept my-" Neko pulled the blade out of the kunoichi's throat, leaving her to drown in her own blood.

"Where is he?" a deadly quiet came over the forest, and he had to resist the urge to piss himself when all the ANBU took a step forward.

"He's dead," seeing the devastated look in Hiroko's eyes he couldn't help rubbing salt deep into the wound. "That's right I killed your little pet monster. You should've seen the look in his eyes, and the pathetic little screams he let out, like music," he laughed, damn near able to taste their pain, and wanting more. "I'm sure he was crying out for you, for all of you to save him. I'm sure you can still find his blood, after all there was so much gushing out of him as I stabbed him over, and over, and over."

Weasel pinned the man against a tree, kunai pointed at his eye, "Where is he?"

"Back that way is the waterfall," the man answered, "but I'd hurry, I tossed that piece of shit over the edge," the man finished, laughing hysterically.

Weasel silenced the man permanently and raced to the waterfall, everyone right on her tail. Weasel felt sick to her stomach as she arrived at the gruesome site. The man hadn't been lying, Naruto's blood soaked the ground, _"It's too much, he couldn't-"_ she shook her head, banishing those thoughts from her mind.

"Everyone follow the river! Keep an eye out! He could've washed onto the bank," the ANBU took off, desperately praying to find their blond-haired angel.

Their prayers would go unanswered.

"I'm sorry Naruto-kun," the Hokage would go home that day and mourn with her village.

xxxXxxx

Naruto's body floated down the river like flotsam, blood dying the river red as his life drifted away. Just as Naruto took his final breaths crimson energy erupted from his body. The water steamed and sizzled as the vile chakra closed his wounds. Then the chakra exploded, hurling the boy clear of the river and onto the bank. On dry land, even more of the revolting chakra oozed out Naruto.. His eyes snapped open, but instead of their usual happy blue, these eyes were red, angry, and filled with a deep, endless hate, **"Finally."**

Naruto grinned wickedly and sat up, but then something unexpected happened. The crimson chakra died out, vanished as if it was never there, but in its place came an explosion of even stronger energy. This chakra was a deep black; it seemed to want to draw everything into its embrace.

"_**It's so warm," **_Naruto yawned and laid back down, _**"I think I'll take nap…"**_

xxxXxxx

Honda Moto was a man of some sixty odd years who had lead a life more exciting than most. He had become a wandering healer, plying his trade from one end of the Elemental Nations to the other. He'd had a few adventures here and there, saw amazing things, saved lives, fell in love, had his heart broken, and sowed his seed. Yes, Honda Moto, could say that his life was more than he had ever expected it to be, and he was damn happy for it.

Once age had caught up with him, Moto settled down in a large village in River Country. The savings he had earned throughout his life afforded him a good home in the poor district; hiring out his skills from time to time kept him comfortable. Now he was resting on the riverbank, fishing rod in hand, enjoying the late summer afternoon.

The comforting silence was shattered by splashing water and the loud thump a small distance from him. Curiosity got the better of him and he was going inspect, until his world exploded into red. The force knocked him on his ass and fear made him scurry back as he gawked at the fire in front of him. Just as he was going to run away the flame turned green and then gently died away.

His whole body told him to leave, to find someone, report it, and stay as far as physically possible from whatever was over there. But he knew that thump, he'd heard it enough in travels to know it was the sound of a body hitting the ground. The doctor in him wouldn't allow him to ignore it, so he gathered his nerve and investigated.

xxxXxxx

Tired eyes opened to the view of a starry night. Exhaustion turned to curiosity when those eyes fell onto an old man tending to a crackling fire. He tried to speak but his throat was so dry all he could muster was a coughing fit.

"Easy kid," Honda said moving to Naruto's side and bringing a flask to his lips, "Slowly, not too much. Don't need you choking." Once Honda was sure the boy was fine he pulled the flask away, "How do you feel kid?"

"B-Better," Naruto said sitting up, "who are you?"

"Honda Moto, and if you wouldn't mind settling an old man's curiosity, who are you?"

"I'm, uh, I'm Naruto?" he winced as his hands brushed up against a lump on his head.

"That's it?" Honda asked, "no last name, mother, father, where you're from, uh pet dog…"

"N-no," Naruto answered trying to recall any little detail about himself, "just Naruto."

"I was afraid of that," Honda replied shaking his head, "seems like the blows you took to the head gave you a case of amnesia."

"What!?" Naruto was on the verge of tears, "What am I going to do?"

"Hey, hey, calm down kid," Honda comforted the poor boy while trying to think up a solution. The smart thing to do would have been to take the boy to the orphanage, but the boy was in a bad spot and he could never turn away someone in need, "Listen kid, how about you come stay with me."

"R-Really?" Naruto wiped his eyes and gazed hopefully at Honda, "you mean it?"

"Yeah, besides someone's bound to come looking for you; this river runs the length of the country." Now that he thought about, Honda wondered how Naruto made it down the river without being dragged out by anyone. The area he was fishing from was *too* small and shallow for anything bigger than a canoe, so he understood that, but the river that fed it was used for transporting goods. _"Guess I'll just chalk it up to a fluke."_

Naruto hugged the old man happily, until he felt the chilly air on his skin. Looking down he noticed his state of dress, or rather the lack of it, "Where are my clothes?"

"Oh, they were wet so I had to take them off. They're drying over there," Honda didn't tell the boy the state he found his clothes in, he had been through enough. Naruto's shirt had been soaked in blood, the tears in the clothing told Honda that the boy had been stabbed, repeatedly. The fact that Naruto had been in the river also indicated that someone had been trying to get rid of the body. Honda still felt disgusted by what he'd seen, and wondered what kind of monster committed the deed.

"Ojii-san, what-what if no one comes looking for me?"

"Then you'll stay with me until we figure out what to do. I'll even do what I can to help you get your memories back," Honda said as he plucked a fish away from the fire, "Here kid, I'm sure you're starving."

Naruto tore through the fish like a rabid fox. "Can I have another?" When Honda handed him another the old man had to make sure he ate slowly, warning him about bones, "Ojii-san, thank you."

Even as Honda smiled, his gut told him that this kid was going to be trouble.

xxxXxxx

**TBC**


	2. But I was Pimped Out (Sort of)

**All right first chapter was up and generally people seemed to like it, hopefully you all like where I'm taking this story, because I'll probably end up rereading this and hating it. Gods I hate that love to write.**

**Enough of that on to more important things, last chapter I forgot to thank my Betas the very diligent **otakufangirl101 **and **The Keeper of Worlds **thanks to both of these two for their support and help. Also, a thank you to **Elder Sibling**, **dfozerker**, **The Lone Swordswolf**, and **LordXeenTheGreat **for their reviews, and pointing out the interesting bits of my story. The feedback does do me some good, even the ones that say I suck because like any writer I'm masochistic about my writing. **

**xxxXxxx**

**Month Zero: But I was Pimped Out (Sort of)**

"Hello?" a middle-aged woman called out as she stepped into the shop. One side of the shop was lined with shelves filled with various vials, bottles, and jars. The other side had a large window that allowed sunlight to shine down on an assortment of plants growing in a large flowerbed; a small sprinkler system was set up to ease the hassle of watering.

"I'll be right out," she heard some shuffling in the back of the shop before a young man stepped out to the counter. Despite her age the woman couldn't help eyeing the handsome boy up and down. Standing at 5'7 his lean, athletic build was shown quite nicely by his simple blue tunic and black pants. Blond hair and blue eyes were complimented quite nicely by his boyish good looks, and the exotic whisker marks added a certain allure. "Ah, Nagi-san, here to pick up the medicine for Yuriko-chan?"

"Yes Naruto-kun."

"I'll get that right for you," Naruto replied reaching under the counter.

"You know, Naruto-kun, I hear that your birthday is coming up soon."

"Yeah, turning sixteen next week," Naruto answered from behind the counter, trying to find the right bag.

"My, my, sixteen and still no girlfriend?"

THUMP

"Ow," Naruto came up with the bag in one hand, massaging his head with the other.

"Oh dear, are you alright?"

"Yeah Nagi-san, your question just caught me off guard."

"Well I can make it up to," Nagi said taking the bag, "Yuriko-chan is about your age. How about-"

JINGLE JINGLE

"Hey Whiskers~" Nagi and Naruto turned to the beauty strutting towards the counter. Tan skin, and wavy shoulder length hair immediately caught the eye. What kept people staring was her unique style of dress. A pair of geta sandals with black slacks and an open black trench coat showed off her bandage wrapped c-cup chest and toned midriff. At 5'9 with menacing black eyes and a katana strapped to her back, the blond bombshell, Saruhi Nori, made an intimidating package. "Hurry up and finish yer shift so I can take ya out to lunch."

"It's rude to interrupt a conversation, Saru-chan," Naruto said.

"Oh? Pretty sure I wasn't interrupting anything, right lady?" Saruhi asked flashing Nagi a menacing grin.

"N-No, of course not Nori-sama!" Nagi replied before snatching the bag, leaving the money, and taking off like a mouse.

"See?" Saruhi said leaning over the counter, "Not rude at all. Now lock up so I can take you out to lunch."

Naruto ignored her and went into the back room to start the tedious process of taking inventory. Fortunately, he could count on Saruhi's insulted pride to force her to follow and stay in his sight until he acknowledged her presence. Of course he wouldn't, and with such great pride came a lack of patience. She'd say a few dirty things, fiddle with things that shouldn't be fiddled with, and when her boredom finally reached critical levels, she would explode. Naruto realized it was a bit mean to toy with her, but he'd never stroke her ego; her head was big enough already. He pretended to cough as he chuckled; her fits were always a good show.

It had been about a year since Honda had taken him in, and he'd been exploring the area near his new home. Then, out of nowhere, a ball nailed him dead center in the forehead and knocked him right on his butt. The ball belonged to Saruhi Nori, and instead of apologizing or helping him up, she laughed at him; even asked if he was going to cry. Living with Honda had given Naruto more spine as the man tended to be very gruff, so he asked her to apologize. Her eloquent reply was to shove him back onto the ground and call him a sissy. Being children, they forgot to use their words and instead got into good old fashioned scuffle. The two had gone at it like a pair of alley cats over a fish bone, until Saruhi pinned him down and came out the victor.

_She cackled at her victory, "Yer fun Whiskers, let's be friends"_

"…_Huh?"_

Ever since Saruhi would come around and drag him off to the adventure she fancied at the time. Puberty, however, had kicked down the door to lust and unleashed is uncomfortable molestation on to Naruto. It's not that Naruto didn't enjoy her attention, but too much of a good thing makes a person sick. Aside from the moments when he had to rein her in, one large issue did hang over their friendship.

"Hey, Whiskers wanna' hear somethin' cool?" Naruto didn't bother answering, when she asked a question that cheekily it was rhetorical, "Mama finally gave me my own district ta run, pretty nice huh?"

Saruhi Nori was the daughter heiress to the Nori Yakuza clan, one of the two major gangs in the village. That, surprisingly, wasn't the issue with their friendship; although having the attentions of a yakuza heiress was probably the equivalent of being a piece of steak in front of a tiger.

JINGLE! JINGLE!

"Naruto-kun?" a stoic voice called out.

"Back here, Kiri-chan."

"Aw, what's the statue doing here?" Saruhi as she pulled on a pair of brass knuckles; suffice to say Saruhi and Kirino didn't along, "Now I gotta waste time poundin her."

"Try it monkey, I have time to put you in your proper place," Kirino replied as she walked into the back, brandishing a pair of sai. The black-haired Kirino matched Toka in height but beat her in bust size, accentuated by her beautifully tailored kimono, colored a rich red with white butterflies, and modified with slits from the hem to mid-thigh. Stoic green eyes stood out against alabaster skin, a sharp nose, hair done up in a messy bun, and a single lock falling between her eyes rounded of her dignified air. Truly, Kirino Takahashi, heiress of the Takahashi Yakuza clan, was a flower in bloom. "Then I can take Naruto-kun out to lunch."

Saruhi got right in Kirino's face with a big, toothy smile. "What's with that cocky attitude of yer's?" She asked, taking hold of Kirno's kimino and pulling her closer, "It's really pissin' me off!"

"All I hear is 'ooh ooh ah ah' monkey," Kirino's voice, the epitome of indifference, only added to Saruhi's aggravation.

"Knock it off you two," Naruto said stepping in between the both of them and praying that the shop didn't become the starting point for Yakuza war.

"Whatever," Saruhi muttered looking away, tucking her brass away.

"Fine," Kirino answered flatly, putting away her sai.

"Kid, are those two back?" a gruff voice shouted from the second floor.

"Yes Oji-san."

"Get them the hell out of here!" Honda yelled coming down the stairs in a hurry, "We can't afford them breaking anything else," an exasperated Honda stepped into the back. "Take them out to lunch, or something, I don't care just far, far away from here!"

The girls where on him like white on rice; taking an arm each, they dragged Naruto to the door. "He'll be fine in my care, Moto-san," Honda couldn't tell if Kirino was sincere or not.

"Ya he's in good hands, pops!" Toka called back pulling Naruto out the door, "Hey, get yer damn hands off him, Takahashi!"

Honda often wondered if all trouble Naruto brought was worth the headache; and as he took a seat and looked back on it, the answer was the same as always, a definite yes. It hadn't occurred to him the night he offered to take the boy in how damn hard it was to actually raise a child. The biggest problem for Honda, aside from dealing with a child and then teenager, was the cost of clothing and feeding him. Every time he bought the boy new clothes, it felt like only days before he had buy more, as if every morsel of food was laced with growth hormone. Speaking of food, Honda wondered how the boy was built like a model when he ate more like a bear before hibernation. The money he managed to save from his journey and the occasional house calls had kept him comfortable. Key word: him, not him and a growing boy, who managed to drain in a year or two, what he had saved over a lifetime. After treading water for a few months, Kami had decided to throw him a life preserver.

Although, given where the money came from it was more likely a demon that came to his rescue. Naruto somehow, and Honda didn't really know when, managed to gain the attention of the Yakuza. First, Tomoko Takahashi had come into his store and laid upon him the most polite threat he had ever received. The details of which were as follows: her precious daughter, Kirino, was to marry Naruto when the both came of age, and if that did not happen, she would personally come down to his store and remove a finger for everyday that they weren't. Then, she apologized for the intrusion and invited him to dinner.

"_I'd be a very bad mother if I did not meet the boy my daughter is going to marry," Tomoko explained, "I also want to see if I find him to my liking."_

Tomoko Takahashi found him adorable.

The following day he received a similar, albeit less polite, treatment from Saruhi's mother, Tsugiri Nori. She held a knife over his crotch and promised to make him literally fuck himself, and then, while he was enjoying the experience of finally becoming a woman, she would burn his store to ground with him in it. All of which could be avoided if her little girl got what she wanted, a statement she punctuated by breaking his nose.

"_See don't that hurt? Havin' yer cock chopped off would feel a lot worse," Tsugiri explained, "Why don't ya bring the brat over tonight? Jus' so I can make sure he's good enough." _

Tsugiri Nori found him more than good enough.

And it became even worse when both clans learned of the other's intentions.

Honda Moto hadn't survived to the old age of 66, mostly intact, by being a fool, and the moment he was cornered like a rat, the wheels in his head began turning. Before they acted on their threats, he managed to convince both leaders separately that it was still sometime until any of the children were of marrying age. Promising to make a decision when Naruto turned sixteen ended the ordeal before it reached its boiling point. A week after things had calmed down, he paid a visit to each woman in secret, and offered a marriage contract with some stipulations.

One: protection for him and Naruto; two: payment in exchange for Naruto to be given immediately; three: the marriage wouldn't be announced until the day of his sixteenth birthday; and lastly: no one would be told about the marriage until its announcement. The last one, as Honda explained, was for fear of what the rival Yakuza clan would do to him. Both women had accepted hook, line, and sinker, and the deal kept them off the street.

The one hole with his plan, and it was a big hole, was what the hell he was going to do at Naruto's birthday a week from now.

xxxXxxx

"This evening is quite nice, don't you suppose?" Kirino asked, laying her head on his shoulder and basking in his warmth, "Even better now that the monkey is no longer in our presence."

"After all these years, how can you still dislike Saru-chan so much?"

"I do not dislike her," Kirino answered and continued, for her, very heatedly "I loathe her. I despise her. I hate her."

"…You hide it well," Naruto chuckled nervously.

"The only reason I have not killed her is because I know it would upset you."

"You really care about me that much?"

"I love you," Naruto was touched by what little sincerity was in her voice as she stared him dead in the eyes.

"You really do, don't you?" Naruto asked, and then turned away from her, "Of course you do; it's you." Naruto ran his hands through his hair furiously, "Now I'm going to feel like such a dick."

"What do you mean?"

"Well," Naruto gathered courage for what he had to say, "I can't return your feelings because I'm not going to be around much longer. After my birthday, I'm going to follow the river, see if I can find any clues about how I ended up here."

"You should not allow yourself to be so caught up in the past," Kirino took his hand in hers and placed a gentle kiss on his knuckle, "it could only lead to trouble."

"Do you really believe that or do you just want me to stay?" Naruto asked with a tender smile, already knowing the answer.

"Both."

"That's the problem, I don't have a past to be caught up in," Naruto explained taking his hand back, "these past few years have been good, but every day I can't help but wonder who I was before I fell into that river. It keeps me some nights. Now that I can do something about it, I refuse to go the rest of my life carrying around this uncertainty and doubt."

"And what if you do not like what you find? What—" her eyes turned down as the question caught in her throat, "What if you don't come back?"

"I…I'm sorry Kiri-chan, but I have to know; good or bad, I have to know."

xxxXxxx

Naruto arrived from his outing to find Honda waiting behind the counter, "Oji-san, what's wrong?"

"…Kid there's something you need to know," he pulled out two pieces of parchment, "Something I should've told you a good long while ago. Read them."

Rolling one open, Naruto's eyes moved back and forth along the paper, fingers tightening as he took in each line of what, he was beginning to see, was a marriage contract. When his eyes finally rested on the signatures, Naruto could feel his blood boiling. "Why would you do this, without even asking me?"

"Would you have been happier with my murder, your kidnapping, and the possible Yakuza gang war over you?"

"They wouldn't fight a war over me," Naruto spat, thinking that old age was finally catching up with him.

"They both came down to the store and threated to torture me, as they invited me to dinner!" Honda bellowed wild eyes and waving his hands around, "and after a really delicious, and uncomfortable, four course meal they upgraded the torture to murder. Now tell me, do you really think they wouldn't fight a war, with their most hated enemies, over you?"

"Well if you're so in love with peace, what's with the money offers in these contracts?" Naruto shot back.

"What?" Honda asked incredulously, gesturing around to the store, "You think feeding, clothing, and housing you is cheap? You eat like a prize pig half the time, and a starved wolf the other. Yesterday I saw you put away a whole chicken, not a game hen, a whole chicken with a side of rice and then desert!"

"S-Sorry."

Honda sighed, "Don't be, you're a teenager, you're supposed to eat that much. I was just making a point." After the emotional outbursts neither had much else to say, so they sat there in uncomfortable silence. "So kid, what do you want to do?"

Naruto opened his mouth, but he shut it just as quickly, because not one single idea found its way into his head and out his trap.

"Well you've got time kid, your birthday isn't for a week," Honda said recognizing that he hadn't really given the boy much time. Really, he wished he could claim the situation wasn't his doing, but it was, at least partly. Now the whole thing was out of his hands and the outcome of his little scheme fell onto Naruto's shoulder.

"Naruto," he could at least give the kid his support, "All this, was me making the best of a bad situation and looking out for you. But I was your age when I started making my own path, so whatever you decide, I'm right behind you kid. One hundred percent."

xxxXxxx

The sun was setting and Naruto could feel the minutes ticking down. Tomorrow, he would stand at a fork in the road, and which ever path he walked meant leaving behind a part of himself. In desperation, he begged Honda to leave with him; pack up in the middle of the night and vanish. Pleas which Honda could not answer; he settled down for a reason, he told Naruto, and age had only taken more of his strength.

If Naruto was going to make a choice, it had to be tonight. On one hand he didn't want to leave Honda at the mercy of the Yakuza; on the other, Naruto doubted Saruhi and Kirino would just let him go and find himself, and he didn't think he could go the rest of his life with that giant gap in his memory.

Those two were extremely possessive; he knew the only reason they hadn't killed one another was because of him. That, and Naruto was sure they were waiting for him to proclaim his undying love and adoration for one of them, just so they could rub him in their rival's face.

Then they'd probably kill each other.

He could scream and tear his hair out at the ping pong game his head was playing.

Go. Don't Go. Honda. Your life. Kirino. Your past. Saruhi. Your future.

JINGLE! JINGLE!

"Whiskers~" and this was the last thing he needed. "There you are, pretty as ever."

Naruto crossed his arms and eyed her up and down.

"Aww what's with the cold shoulder?" Saruhi asked, leaning over the counter.

"…"

"Come on Whishkers," Saruhi whined, "what's with the silent treatment?"

"Everytime you come here it's just to get into my pants."

"What? You don't like it?"

"Just because I'm a man it doesn't mean I like to be felt up all the time," Naruto replied and as soon as she started her usual routine of invading his personal space, Naruto noticed the stink of alcohol on her breath. "Have you been drinking?"

"My ma took me out celebratin'," Saruhi said leaning into him, "First time I had ta teach a little shopkeep some respect; my ma was so proud."

Unable to take the smell, Naruto stepped back, "Well I'm glad you two had a mother daughter moment." He'd always had a problem with the shadier aspects of Saruhi's family business; just another notch in the leave column.

"Yeah but that's not the best part," Saruhi slurred out, stalking towards him, "the best part was the advice she gave me." With each pace Naruto took back, she took one forward; the dangerous glint in her eye shining more brightly with each step.

"And what was that?"

"That if you want somethin', really want somethin'," Naruto's back met the wall and Saruhi trapped him between her arms, "don't let anythin' stand in yer way," one hand stroked his cheek before cupping his chin roughly, and forcing it up, "take it and never let it go."

Saruhi crushed her lips against his and Naruto palms pushed against her, but she seized his wrists and pinned them to wall. He turned his head as he struggled in her hold, but she just focused her ministrations on his throat, "Do ya know how long I've been waitin' for this," her mouth found his pulse and her tongue flicked at it playfully, "How long I've dreamt of this," now she sucked on his neck making the lewdest sounds possible.

She tore his shirt off, "Havin' ta look but not have a taste," her tongue circled his nipple getting it nice and hard, "Now I'm goin' ta have my fill."

"Stop it Saruhi!" Naruto twisted in her clutches trying to push her off but Saruhi refused to let him escape. She was always stronger than him, but as she held both wrists with one hand, he finally realized by how much. Naruto winced as she left vicious little love bites up and down his throat. Her free hand ran up and down his side before squeezing his ass.

Saruhi was drunk with pleasure, and becoming more and more intoxicated with Naruto's body. He had to have been bred for this; the smell and feel of his skin. Gods, he even tasted yummy. She brought his lips to hers, savoring their silky softness, as she pressed against the seam wanting more, needing more. She fell deeper and deeper into lust, her hold on him loosening; that's when Naruto took his chance and shoved her off.

"Damn it Saruhi!"

Drowning in liquor and lust, she didn't take kindly to his refusal; "Bitch!" she snarled as she backhanded Naruto. He crashed into a shelf and split his head open. The sight of blood dripping down his face sobered Saruhi up very quickly, "W-Whiskers?"

Naruto groaned as he sat up reaching for the bloody gash. "Whisker?" Naruto tried to glare at her but clutched his head in pain as something in his brain snapped.

"_Do you know who I am, monster? My family, my wife and daughter, you killed them that night. You crushed them like they were ants, like they were nothing!"_

"_Where are you going, monster?"_

"_This is for the village."_

"Get away from me!" Naruto scurried back as Saruhi made an effort to get closer, to make it alright.

"W-Whisker, please, I'm sorry," his stare, the fear in his stare cut deep into her heart.

JINGLE! JINGLE!

"Naruto I'm—" Honda's eye nearly exploded out of his skull at the scene before him; Naruto in tears, Saruhi towering over him. "What the hell are you doing?!" Honda brandished his staff, "Get the hell out of here before I get the guards!"

"I'm not-woah!" Saruhi dodged a swing from the wily old man, cursing as she bobbed and weaved through Honda's erratic assault, "Fine! I'm goin' ya old son of bitch!" she shouted running out of the door.

Honda wheezed as he caught his breath, "Damn that girl." He hobbled to Naruto's side, struggling to hold the boy down. "Kid, kid, come on it's fine, it's me, Honda. Damn snap out of it kid!" No other choice left Honda slapped the boy back to reality.

"Honda?"

"Yeah kid it's me. Are you okay," Honda asked examining the injury on his head, "She got you real good, what happened?'

"Sh-She tried to r-ra…to."

Noticing the boy's state of dress, the marks on his neck, and the bruises on his wrist, Honda shushed the boy, "It fine kid let's just get you patched up."

xxxXxxx

Honda muttered angrily as he finished stitching Naruto up and started cleaning his lip, "I can't believe that girl."

The rest of Honda's complaints went unheard as Naruto kept recalling that memory flash. That man had wanted him dead. Why? Who was he? Was he still out there? And why did he call him a monster? Nothing was making sense.

"Kid? Kid?"

"Hmm?"

I was asking what you wanted to do about that punk little gangster? Maybe we should get the guards in case she comes back," Honda's mind jumped at the possibility of calling the contract off with the Nori, but hopped back when he recalled what kind of woman Tsugiri was.

"No, we both know the guards and Yakuza might not like each other, but I doubt the chief wants to cause trouble by arresting a Yakuza boss's daughter," aside from that thought, tonight's event had helped him choose a path to walk. "Oji-san I think I'm going to leave."

"Really," Honda asked. He could see the boy was still a bit unsure of himself, so he decided to iron out the boy's resolve, "Are you nervous?"

"A bit."

"Well you shouldn't be," Honda chuckled, "I taught you damn near ever thing I know. Medicine, survival, how to defend yourself; you're ready for this, kid," Honda knew he did right as he saw a small fire kindle in the boy's eyes. "From here on out, you'll have to decide what you want to do."

"_What do you want to do with your life?"_

The memory dazed Naruto, and all he could remember was the voice and a face. He regained his bearings and tried to recall more, but it was like grabbing a hand full of sand. When nothing else came, he sighed and held onto the small piece he recovered.

"What was that about kid?" Honda asked examining the boy again.

"I just remembered something; a girl, with black hair, she asked me what I wanted to do with my life," when he repeated the question out loud, Honda saw the fire in the boy's eyes grow brighter. With this new found determination, Naruto hopped off the table, grabbed a travelling bag, and rushed off to his room.

Honda hobbled after the boy and found him in his room stuffing clothes and other essentials into his bag, "What're you doing kid?"

"Packing, I'm leaving tonight."

"Why?"

"Because I know what I want to do with my life," Naruto said as he shoved a small case into his bag, then he turned to Honda, "I mean not with all of it, but I know what I want to do now."

"I, uh, actually meant why now? At night?"

"Oh, well, I don't think Saruhi or Kirino would just let me leave after they find out about their contracts."

Honda didn't even have to think about their reactions, he just nodded in agreement, "Okay, you finish here; I've got to grab your present." The old man headed down stairs as quickly as he could.

"I don't think I can carry a lot," Naruto called out.

"Don't worry, you'll be able to carry this one," Honda called back.

Naruto closed the bag and headed down, where he found Honda waiting for him, box in hand, "Happy birthday kid."

Naruto took the box from Honda gratefully, and opened it up. Inside was a belt, dyed dark green, with pouches sewn onto it, "A utility belt?"

"I prefer medi-belt, I had it custom made" Honda said while Naruto fastened the belt to his waist, "Good fit?"

"Great fit," On Naruto's left side hung a bag larger than the other; popping it open he found a mortar and pestle.

"You're too good with herbs not to have one," Honda explained, giving the belt a solid tug to make sure it was on nice and tight, "Everything you'll need, kid, to patch up yourself, or anyone else seeing as you like to be so helpful and all."

Without a second thought Naruto embraced his father tightly, "Thank you, for everything."

Honda chuckled, to hide the sadness welling up in his heart, and clapped Naruto heartily on the back, "I was help, Naruto." They enjoyed the moment, but Honda pulled away and clasped the boy's shoulders, "Before you go, I've got one more thing for you."

Honda grabbed his staff and ran his palms fondly over its surface, every scratch and notch a memory of his life, "This staff has been with me longer than anyone in my life, and its saved it me more times than I can count," laying it flay on his palms, Honda presented it to Naruto, "and I'm sure it'll do the same for you."

Now it was Naruto who had to take a moment to compose himself as he took Honda's most valuable possession in his hands, "I…thank you Honda-jii-san."

Honda gently placed his hand on Naruto's shoulder, "I always had a feeling you were meant for something special kid and I know you'll find it out there."

Father and son, not by blood, but by a bond just as strong walked out of their home for the final time, "Now go Naruto, and don't ever be afraid to keep moving forward."

"I won't."

**xxxXxxx**

**Remember boys and girls, guy or gal no means no. I'm looking at you fangirls.**

**..**

**See how hard I'm looking?**

**Next Chapter coming soon… **

**TBC…**


	3. Then I saved this Woman

**So far people are enjoying the story and I hope to continue that run.**

**Every writer should make sure to thank their betas/editors so thanks to my Betas **otakufangirl101 **and **The Keeper of Worlds. **Their support improves and keeps this story running. **

**And a thank you to **dfozerker**, **LordXeenTheGreat**, **RokuAnsatsu**, **Z19**, **UYHOO**, **1000future Naruto**, **Soulhope The Wolf, **and **Shincore **for their reviews. Glad to see no one's called me a copycat yet. **

**Enough, on with the story. **

**xxxXxxx**

**Month Zero: Then I Saved this Woman**

The autumn leaves rustled and fell from their trees; the shades of brown, red, and orange signaling that fall was in full swing. A crow landed amongst the leaves and pecked at the ground, annoying squawks bellowing out of it's throat from time to time. Unknown to the crow, nearby a young man slumbered underneath the a pile of leaves, so it came as a surprise to the bird when a hand shot out from beneath the pile and swatted at him.

Naruto yawned as he threw the pile off his sleeping bag, it took a moment for his eyes to adjust and then his ears turned him to the angry, squawking crow in the tree, "It's a little early for that, don't you think?" As if answering his question the crow flew up into the air drawing Naruto's eyes to the sun sitting high up in the sky, "Guess it isn't."

From the sun's position, Naruto guessed it to be sometime around noon, "Well six hours should be enough." Beginning to pack away his sleeping bag Naruto thought about his next move. He had traveled all night and when the sun began peeking over the horizon he rested among the trees along the road. Now, well rested, he pulled out a map, "Okay let's see, the river Oji-san found me in was here and it goes into Fire Country. Guess that's where I'll start."

xxxXxxx

"So old man, ya thought ya could pull one over us," Tsugiri Nori spat as she grinded the scabbard of her sword into Honda's head, "Where's foxy-chan?"

"I don't know."

Here, Tomoko Takashi stepped forward, "Obviously, we cannot take your word for it, Moto-san."

"I'm serious, the kid found the contract scrolls, I tried to calm him down but he wouldn't listen to me," Honda said then he turned to Saruhi, "It might've also had something to do with your daughter getting fresh with him, Nori."

Tsugiri turned suspicious eyes on her daughter, "What's he talkin' about, kid?" When Saruhi turned away instead of answering, Tsugiri hoisted her up by her collar, "What is he talkin' about?"

Hesitantly, Saruhi looked her mother in the face, "L-Last night, after our celebration, I went ta see Whiskers, th-things got heated, I-I got frisky, he pushed me away, a-and I laid hands on him."

Tsugiri dropped Saruhi on her ass, "Ya couldn't keep it in yer pants ya stupid girl!"

"I-I didn't know!"

"It doesn't matter if ya didn't know, ya should know better!"

Tomoko chuckled at the mother daughter spat and couldn't help throwing in her own barb, "How could she know better with such a vulgar woman for a mother?"

Tsugiri twisted towards, Tomoko brandishing her blade, "Oi, ya lookin' for a fight Takashi?"

"As long as I don't have to fear for my chastity," Tomoko shot back pulling out her own weapon, a whip.

Saruhi smirked unable to resist throwing out her own barb, "Like anyone would want a woman with such a huge flabby ass!"

Red faced and mortified, Tomoko sniped right back at Tsugiri, "At least I don't have a gut that rolls over my pants!"

Tsugiri clutched her blade tightly, too angry to even think of a good come back. The both leaders heard their minions muttering amongst themselves.

"How dare she insult Takashi-sama!"

"Right? The only reason it's that big is because Takashi-sama doesn't like working out when it's cold."

"Oh man, I've never seen Boss Nori so mad."

"Damn Takashi, it's only cause the Boss can't resist eating Junichi's cute pastries every day."

"You're not helping!"both women shouted furiously before violently breaking the silence.

"Thunder thighs!"

"Muffin top!"

"Bubble butt!"

"Jelly rolls!"

Both women would have gone on like this if Kirino stepped between them, "Enough! This is leading nowhere, we need to get back to Honda."

"Yer right, oi Moto," Tsugiri turned to the nervous old man, "there ain't nothin' wrong with woman who's got some meat on her, right?"

"O-Of course not! Men find it very attractive!"

Then Tomoko stepped forward, "What about women with big hips?"

"What man could resist a curvaceous woman?!"

"Ha!" Both women shouted, jabbing each other in the chest.

Kirino sighed at their childish squabbles, "That's not what I meant. Honda-san, do you have any idea where Naruto-kun would've gone?"

"Not a clue, the world's a big place who knows where he might end up?" It probably wouldn't buy him a lot of time, Naruto would need whatever advantage Honda could give him.

"I see," Kirino though it over for a moment before speaking, "then nothing can be done about it now."

"What? Are ya serious, Takashi?! Yer gonna give up just like that?!" Saruhi shouted.

"Of course not," Kirino chided, "but even if we knew where he was, dragging him back against his will would only make things worse." Saruhi wanted to argue but Kirino, hated as she was, had a point; besides she wasn't ready to face Naruto right now. "Although that does not mean we can't send out a few people to seek him out, and keep an eye on him."

"Yer right," Saruhi replied, "does this mean we're workin' together?"

"For now."

xxxXxxx

Naruto walked along the river he had been following through the unchanging country side, empty plains followed by the occasional grouping of trees looped over and over again before his eyes. A splash caught his ear and he gazed at the small bright green fish flying in the air before dropping back into the river.

"Fifty-seven," for the past hour or so he had been counting the Hop Fish, curious little creatures that liked to leap out of the water for whatever reason, "Fifty-eight."

Naruto recalled all the stories Honda had told him late at night before he went to bed; how they filled his head with daydreams of having exciting adventures of his own, "Fifty-nine."

Seeing new and wondrous sights, meeting interesting people along the roads, and truly finding out who he was, "Sixty."

Chivalrously running into danger to protect a kind stranger, or come to the rescue of some poor victim in need of a hero, "Sixty-hmm?"

Naruto's brow quirked as he spotted a bundle of blond fur rise out of the water, "A beaver? No tail, then maybe an otter? Hmm, do they even come in that shade?" As Naruto focused on what the mystery bundle was, a large cloth broke the surface of the water, followed by one hand and then another, "Oh crap, that's a person!"

Naruto ran to the river's edge and used his staff to catch the body before it drifted any further down the river, the gentle current making it easy to reel in. Once it was close enough, Naruto heaved the victim onto the shore, and immediately recognized it to be a woman.

As soon as he flipped her over, his critical eye took in every little detail in a flash. The cloth was actually a large cloak with red cloud designs; the blond fur was actually blond hair; the style of dress suggested a kunoichi. Then he felt for pulse. Not finding one, he tore her cloak open and began administering CPR. The more seconds that ticked by, the more worried Naruto became. "Come on," Naruto muttered over and over again, making sure to keep the rhythm of his compressions. He continued this again and again until finally, Naruto planted his lips against hers and blew one last strong puff of air into her.

Her body convulsed back to life violently, and she vomited the water in her lungs all over herself. When he was sure the woman was breathing fine he began to check her for wounds. While he was doing this the woman managed to stir from state enough to let out a pitiful moan.

Naruto leaned over her and began to bombard her with questions of how and where, but all she managed to get out was a single word, "A-Angel…"

"….Huh?" bewildered, Naruto stared up into the sky, "but there's nothing in the sky."

xxxXxxx

The gentle breeze woke her, and now, as her lone blue eye gazed up at the murky orange sky, she tried to clear the cobwebs from her mind. While she attempted to recall how she came to be here, and where here was exactly, her ears were drawn to the sound of a crackling fire. Looking over she saw a young man tending to steaming pot of what smelled like soup.

"W-Who-" She coughed and swallowed a few times struggling to soothe her parched throat, until at last a canteen was brought up to her lips.

"Easy, not too fast," Naruto said making she didn't choke on the water, "There, all better?"

"Yes," now wide awake she studied her assumed to be savior. She could tell he was young by the few soft features he still had, probably no older than seventeen. His hair a shade close to her own and his eyes, oh his eyes; she'd never seen gentle sapphires like his, open and unguarded. The small smile he sported, which she could imagine to be ever present, made her heartbeat faster and she was filled with the sudden urge to rub those whisker marked cheeks of his. "Who are you?"

"Naruto, and you?" there was that smile again.

"All yours."

"What?"

"I mean Deidara! I'm Deidara!" She sat up and looked away, partially to gather her thought and partially to hide her blush. _"What is wrong with me?" _She brushed her hair away and immediately took notice of the bandages wrapped around her hands, "What the hell happened to my hand?!"

Seeing the suspicious look she was pinning on him, Naruto quickly explained how he saved her and, "When I was sure you were breathing properly, I checked you over for any other injuries. Your hands were burned pretty badly, so I took some…"

Staring at her hands, Deidara suddenly remembered what happened. She and Sori-danna had been running a sabotage mission in Fire Country to destroy a mining operation. The client was a bit infuriated that the owner had refused to sell, so they had been hired to put the mine out of commission. The owner had caught wind of the mission, and not one to take things lying down, had hired his own protection, a squad of jonin. Unfortunately, she and Sori had gotten into another one of their artistic arguments and Deidara had bet that she could destroy the mine on her own, thus proving the superiority of her art. It was only when Deidara had begun her attack that she found out about the jonin squad. She had skill but numbers had won out when a jonin had managed to get close enough to leave a surprise in her C4 containers. Then one trouble fell onto the other as the container exploded when she reached in. Her only good fortune from the entire fiasco was the amount of clay she had exhausted had saved her from being blown to smithereens; instead it blasted her into the river. _"If I see that silver haired bitch again I'll really show her my art, yeah!"_

"…and that's why you're not feeling any pain right now," Naruto finished as he brought over a bowl of the chicken soup he had been cooking. "Here, I'm sure you're hungry."

"Thanks," Deidara replied as she took the bowl from him, "Ow!"

Naruto caught the bowl before she burned herself further, "I was afraid of that." He pinched one of Deidara's fingers and hummed as she recoiled, "The burns are worse than I thought. Don't worry, you're a kunoichi and the poultice I used on your burns reacts positively to chakra, it'll help the healing process. Still it might take a while for them to heal properly."

Deidara eyed him carefully, "How did you know I was a kunoichi?"

Naruto chuckled before answering, "You're kidding right? Don't take this the wrong way, but the way you kunoichi dress is pretty out there."

"It's not that weird, yeah," Deidara pouted, "so how long until I can use my hands again?"

"Well kunoichi have always had better healing abilities than civilians, so it might be three or four weeks until those bandages can come off," Naruto answered as he stirred the soup.

"W-What that's too long, yeah!" her hands were her primary weapon, not to mention her main mode of travel; without them she was going to be hoofing it.

"Well, there is nothing I can do about it now," Naruto replied as he spooned a big helping of the soup, "but if you want to heal properly you need to eat. Now, say ahh."

"What?" Deidara felt heat rise to her cheeks again.

"You need to eat and since you can't use your hands I'll have to feed you, so, say ahh," Naruto ordered as he held the spoonful up to her mouth.

"Ahh…mmm," Deidara attempted to ignore the red in her cheeks as Naruto fed her. _"This is pretty nice, yeah." _After the meal was over Deidara had decided that she rather enjoyed being taken care of by the handsome young man.

"Someone was hungry," Naruto said as he moved back to the soup pot.

"Thanks for the food," Deidara replied her full stomach putting her in a good mood. "If you don't mind me asking, what's a young thing like you doing out here all alone?"

"I don't mind," Naruto said as he served himself a bowl, "you see as a young boy I washed up on a riverbank with no idea who I was or where I came from except for my name. An old man name Honda Moto took me in and raised me like his son. About a day ago I decided to leave the village, follow the river, and see if I could find where I came from, or at the very least some clues."

"Woah, that's heavy, yeah."

"What about you? How did you end up in the river?" Naruto asked.

Deidara began to sweat as she realized he might not be so cooperative if he found out her injuries were the result of an attempt to bomb a mine and innocent civilians, "Uh…I'm a kunoichi, so the less you know the better."

"Oh, I guess you're right."

"_Sori-danna couldn't have done any better, yeah." _The two enjoyed companionable silence as Naruto ate his soup. By the time he finished and settled down next to Deidara the stars had come out.

"I always enjoy watching the stars."

"They shine for only a few hours and then disappear, that's what makes them beautiful, yeah."

"Hmm, never thought about it like that," Naruto said turning to her, "By the way, how do your hands feel?"

"They're throbbing a bit but nothing I can't handle," Deidara replied, "You won't have to worry about going our separate ways tomorrow."

"Separate ways?" Naruto asked.

"You said you were going to follow the river, and I have to regroup with my partner in Wave Country," Deidara answered, "those two destinations are in very opposite directions."

"Well, I can't really do that," Naruto said.

"What do you mean?"

"I can't just leave you on your own," Naruto replied, "Those burns are serious and the bandages have to be changed, not to mention that you won't be able to use your hands for a while. You can't be left alone, so I'll accompany you to Wave until your hands heal."

"Naruto I don't know what to say. Thanks," Deidara was sure that he was tired of hearing her thanks but she had no other words to express her gratitude, "it means a lot, yeah."

xxxXxxx

**Hope I entertained you readers for a bit, and keep an eye out for the next chapter.**

**TBC**


	4. And I Escorted Her to this Village

**So far people are enjoying the story and I hope to continue that run.**

**Every writer should make sure to thank their betas/editors so thanks to my Betas **otakufangirl101 **and **The Keeper of Worlds. **Their support improves and keeps this story running. **

**And a thank you to **ndavid**,** Twilight-Lloyd**,** Deflow**,** LordXeenTheGreat**, **RokuAnsatsu**, **Z19**, and **Soulhope The Wolf **for their reviews. And special mention to **Soulhope the Wolf **for breaking my copycat streak. And to **RokuAnsatsu **for influencing the disguise idea in this chapter,**

**I also know its been a long time since I updated but I just finished finals last week, and was completely burnt out, I hope the longer than usual chapter makes up for it. **

**Also I've got a map of the Elemental Nations I'm using for this story up on my profile, so check it out to know whats where. **

**Enough, on with the story. **

**xxxXxxx**

**Month Zero Week Two: And I Escorted Her to this Village**

The last two weeks had been the most memorable, and most trying of Deidara's life, and she was positive that she had never been more embarrassed. With her hands so badly burned, Naruto had to take care of everything she normally used them for. That included feeding her, changing her clothes, and even helping her go to the—Kami above she couldn't even finish that thought. There was also her need to hide the fact that she was a criminal kunoichi working for a corrupt shipping magnate, because Naruto didn't seem to be the type who enjoyed hanging around with felonious people.

"_I'll treat the silver-haired chick to a private gallery of my best pieces!" _Diedara thought vengefully. Although it wasn't all bad, after two weeks of healing she could finally use her hands for simple tasks. She still needed help bathing, but who better to help her get all squeaky clean than the very handsome and easily flustered young man accompanying her. She giggled quietly as she remembered the first time they bathed together.

They were near a small river fed lake, and both had begun to smell more than a little ripe. Her lack of hands meant Naruto would have to wash her down, something he wasn't very embarrassed about because of the hours he put in as a nurse at the local hospital. Not willing to let the boy go without some teasing she made a big show of moaning and gasping whenever he got near her fun bits, and of course she couldn't let him wash her back with offering to do the same in return.

xxxXxxx

"_B-But your hands."_

"_Oh right I can't use these can I?" and then she crossed her arms, purposely emphasizing her bust, and flashing him a devious smile, "but I do have these."_

"_Uhh," oh she really enjoyed that dumbfounded look of his. _

"_Just kidding." Deidara was really good at teasing him._

xxxXxxx

"I wonder if time for another bath?" However, she was really bad at keeping thoughts in her head, which often lead to her own embarrassing situations.

"What did you say?" Naruto asked distracted by two rabbits being really friendly with one another.

"_Why do I keep doing this?" _Deidara thought as she scrambled for an answer, fortunately she had a lot of practice by now, "What I said was: I wonder if were on the right path?"

"Isn't that something you should know?" Naruto asked worrying where they might be if she didn't have a clue, "I'm following your lead so if you don't know-"

"Oh I know, my man, I just think we should double check, safe than sorry you know," Deidara answered patting herself on the back, _"and Sori says I can't keep my cool."_

"Alright, I guess it's time for me to change your bandages anyway," so the two found a comfortable spot beside the road to rest, and Naruto set to work on her bandages. The first time they had come off Deidara had panicked over the sight of her hands, crippling injuries were always at the forefront of a kunoichi's mind. Naruto had calmed her down by explaining that it was merely superficial damage that would heal in time, and as Deidara looked them over now she began to believe that everything would turn out fine. She tempered her excitement; as Naruto had also explained that the real worry would be whether or not any of the burns were deeper than they looked.

"Well, you're healing just like I thought you would. Can you hold them out for me?" Deidara did as he asked and Naruto looked over every inch of her hand with a critical eye, taking care to look closely at the palms which she said had been hit first. The skin that had been pink was normal now, and the redness was beginning to fade. The blisters were nearly gone and her skin had begun to lose its wet looking appearance. "Good, these were only partial thickness burns, some of those red spots had me worried but their fine. Do you need another painkiller?"

"Not now, I'll tell you if it starts giving me problems."

Naruto nodded and began applying burn ointment to her hands, "Your skin is still susceptible to infection so I'll have to put the gauze back on. That poultice I used had some minor antibiotic properties but I'll give you a shot just to be on the safe side."

Diedara pouted as he finished wrapping the gauze and rolled up her sleeves, "Can't you just use that mushy stuff again?"

"It's not mush, its poultice, and the ingredients for it aren't cheap," Naruto answered and laughed at her pouty face, "I know no one likes getting shots, but I have to save that poultice for emergencies. Now this won't hurt a bit, just look at the clouds."

Deidara tried her hardest to do just that and not pay any attention to the methodical way Naruto went about his work. Every time he went into doctor mode, as she dubbed it, he changed into a completely different person, "Now just count those clouds and it'll be over before you know it."

"One, two, three, four, f-ouch!" Deidara winced as she felt the familiar pinch of a needle.

"There, there," Naruto cooed, "That wasn't so bad, and if I had any lollipops I'd give you one." He placed a small bandage on it and then he gently placed a kiss on Deidara's arm right over the needle mark.

Deidara pulled her arm back and asked, "W-Why did you that?"

"What?" Naruto asked as he nonchalantly packed up his supplies.

"The kiss! Why did you kiss my arm?" and quietly thought to herself, _"I do have lips."_

"I don't know," Then it him, like a blast of air to the brain.

xxxXxxx

"_Why do I have to do kiss it, Kabuta-chan?"_

"_Well, Naruto-kun, it's customary, you see, for a male doctor to kiss the last place he bandages on a female patient," Kabuta explained, "Which is why you have to kiss the bandage on my cheek. You do want to be a great doctor, right?"_

"_Yeah!" Without a second thought, Naruto planted a kiss on Kabuta, but ended up blushing like mad when he realized what he'd done, "D-Did I do it right?"_

"_I might need another one," Kabuto answered shyly._

xxxXxxx

"Kabuta-chan…" He remembered her, remembered her unique white hair and dull black eyes, how she fiddled with her glasses when she was nervous, and the harsh way she chided him when he made mistakes. How could he forget her, his closest friend, "Kabuta-chan."

"Naruto," he came back to life and found Deidara hovering over him, "are you okay?"

Naruto sat up and tried to gain his bearings, those memories had been so vivid. "What happened?"

"You dropped like a rock, my man, kept muttering about some Kabuta chick over and over," Deidara answered before a devious grin spread across her face, "You also made the cutest little moans, yeah."

"She's a friend of mine," Naruto replied, pointedly ignoring her teasing, "but I don't know from where."

All these new memories and not one had a clue as to where he came from. It was baffling, but he decided to take it as a cup half full situation; it's not like an amnesiac can really complain about getting his memories back.

"A friend? Like a girlfriend?" Deidara teased really wanting payback for the shot.

"No, just friend girl," Naruto said continuing to ignore her little jibes, "Shouldn't you be checking the map instead of trying to tease me?"

"The map?" She asked having completely forgotten, and really solidifying stereotypes about blonds.

"Yes, the map, the whole reason we stopped here in the first place," Naruto explained.

"Right the map," Deidara moved over to his pack and carefully pulled it out, making sure not cause her precious hands any damage, "I'll get right on that, yeah."

"_I wonder if all kunoichi are this weird," _Naruto thought to himself as he watched Deidara turn the map this way and that.

xxxXxxx

It had taken them another week and a small boat right, but Naruto could finally see their destination on the horizon. He had to admit that he was more than a little excited to finally see a new village. Thoughts of his home tamped down his enthusiasm, but he decided not to let ruin his mood, "Come on, Dara-chan!"

"Yo, wait up," Deidara shouted as she chased after him, "Why the rush, just a dinky little village."

Whatever expectations Naruto had were shattered as he set foot in the village. Even with a cursory glance around he could tell that the village had fallen on hard times. All the houses looked run down; some were even missing windows and doors. From the houses that weren't abandoned, scared and suspicious eyes stared at him, and as he made his way further into the village he found out where the former residents had gone.

Whole families were tucked into the alleys; a fortunate few seemed to squatting in abandoned homes. Mothers were patching holes in clothes, while children ran around rummaging for anything of worth in the garbage or on the street, others were begging for change. He also saw fathers bring sacks of rice barely holding anything to their families.

He rounded a corner and found himself in what appeared to be a market district. The only things being sold were food and clothing, and both looked less than passable. Fresh produce seemed to be nonexistent, as most stalls carried old and, sometimes rotting, food; one stall worker was even offering half-off on everything rotten. The meat was a little better, but the prices were downright criminal. The other stalls were filled with rags, and not many actually carried articles of clothing, it was obviously cheaper to buys rags and thread to fix old clothes.

"Naruto-kun," He nearly jumped out of his skin as Deidara scared him out of his reverie, "You shouldn't run off like that, this place is a bad scene, yeah."

"Dara-chan, what happened here?"

Deidara looked until she realized what he was referring to, "Oh the village. Well it used to be a fishing village with a shipping port, but the new owner put a ban on fishing and brought in his own workforce for the port. Now, most of the sailors and fishermen are out of business. He also raised tariffs on imports and exports, so a lot of the merchants who weren't rich enough to get out are trapped on a sinking ship. They can't bring anything in, so they got nothing to sell, and the fishermen don't have fish, so the merchants don't have anything to send out. All in all this village's beauty days are way behind it."

"What about the river we crossed, can't they use that?"

"No. That new owner, Gato, basically owns this island and he refuses to allow anyone use of the rivers or channels to the mainland," Deidara explained.

"Then how did we manage to cross?" Naruto asked.

"Because the boatman works me and my organization, and Gato isn't dumb enough to pick a fight with us, unless he wants me to sculpt his tombstone," Deidara said, "Let's get going, this place kills my mood, and my partner's waiting." She took his hand and gently tugged him along.

"Wait," Naruto said as he pulled away from her, "I can't leave these people like this."

"What're you going to do?" Deidara asked, "What can you do?"

"I…" He hated to admit that those questions left him at a loss. He barely had any food left, and he'd give away what money he had, but doubted that he could earn it back. The left providing his services for free, but that just brought in a whole slew of new problems. He had a very finite supply of medical resources. He could patch cuts and treat infections, but who knows how many people he could fix up before he ran out of supplies. Not mention that he might not have the proper medicine or medication for certain illnesses, and the medicine he did have wasn't very much. He could try to buy supplies from a hospital, if there was one, but he doubted they would part with anything cheaply. He didn't want say it, but if he tried to help he'd probably end up in need of help himself. "Damn it."

"Come on," Deidara said taking his hand again, "After we meet my partner I'll make sure you get a lift back to the mainland."

xxxXxx

Deidara and Naruto made their way into an abandoned warehouse by the pier, "Just let me handle this and don't make any sudden movements."

"Why?"

"My girl, Sori, doesn't really like strangers," Deidara explained before walking into the center of the warehouse. "True art is brief and fleeting."

"No, it is ageless and everlasting," A young woman dropped from the ceiling, covered from the chin to shin in a coat similar to Deidara, and underneath the coat she wore what appeared to be dark pants and a pair of sandals. She was shorter than Deidara and had shaggy red hair, but there was something off about her that Naruto couldn't put his finger one; maybe it was the emotional expression she wore, "It's about time, Deidara, did you take care of the mission?"

"Umm, not exactly," Deidara answered.

"Why am I not surprised," Sori said and then she turned her eyes on Naruto, "Who is this?"

"This, Sori, my girl is Naruto-kun," Deidara replied taking Naruto by the shoulders and presenting him, "he saved my life, patched me, and played nurse for me while I was getting better."

"Saved your life?"

"Well, that's kind of the reason the mission was dud," Deidara explained lamely.

What on earth possessed her to agree to Deidara's bet she would never know. There was something about the blond bomber that always managed to break through her cool demeanor. "You shouldn't have wasted the effort on this moron," Sori said annoyed by her partners performance.

"Hey!"

"But our leader would have been cross with me if she died, so you have my thanks," Sori turned back to Deidara, "Come on, we have to report this to Gato at his headquarters."

"Wait, you work for Gato!" Naruto shouted stepping away from Deidara, "as in the Gato that's choking the life out of this village."

"Yes, he hired us to complete a job," Sori glared at her partner, "a job we won't be receiving full payment for."

"Why wouldn't you tell me about this Dara-chan?" Naruto asked as Deidara began scrambling for an answer.

Finding the perfect excuse, she took a deep breath and put on her best forlorn face, "I'm a kunoichi without a village Naruto-kun; I have to take what work I can find. This is the work my organization assigned me, I don't like it, but I need it to survive. I didn't want to tell you because I was afraid of what you think."

"Dara-chan," Naruto had always been a sucker for a sad girl, "You're still my friend and while I may not like it or approve, I won't abandon a friend for ending up on a bad path."

Deidara quashed those feelings of guilt for lying, and hugged him, "Thanks, Naruto-kun."

What the moment was over, Naruto turned to Sori, "This meeting with Gato, mind if I tag along?" Hopefully he could learn something useful by meeting the man in his home.

Sori was about to refuse, but seeing the pleading look Deidara was shooting her, she gave in. It would be easier than hearing her whine about it later, "If you want, but don't say or touch anything. Gato isn't the type of man who enjoys strangers near his things."

xxxXxxx

"When I hired the Akatsuki, I thought I was paying top dollar for the best in the business," Gato said as he stood up and grabbed his cane, made of the finest mahogany of course, "so imagine my surprise, when I hear word from my informant that the mine and its owner are still standing."

"I take it you are displeased with the outcome," Sori calmly spoke, "Understandable."

"Yes, it is," Gato said walking around his desk and standing in front of his three visitors, "Which begs the question: What is your policy on refunds?"

"There is none," Sori replied, "Of course the contract stands, so if you still wish us to handle your problem, we will."

"Don't bother, Keiji," one of the multitude of thugs hanging around the office stepped forward, "You see this owner happened to be married to a Hyuga woman, one of the main branch, and after your little debacle she managed to convince him to rewrite his will to pass ownership of the mine over to the Hyuga upon his death. Now, even you do kill him and destroy the mine, the Hyuga will take possession of it, and with their resources they can afford to fix that mine five times over. Not to mention that they're a kunoichi clan, so I can't touch them unless I want assassins after my head."

"I see your dilemma."

"Yes, I suppose you can," Gato replied taking ahold of his cane, "and it has left me, in your own words, displeased!" Without warning Gato drove his cane into Keiji's head.

"I am very. Very. Very. Very. Displeased," Naruto could only stand there and watch, horrified as Gato kept bringing his bloody cane down. He'd seen people die, even helped some of the pass gently, but this was different. It wasn't death, natural and inevitable; it was murder, senseless and violent. By the time Gato had worked out his displeasure Keiji's head looked like squashed watermelon.

After he adjusted his tie Gato turned back to his visitors, a disturbingly calm smile on his face and said, "I apologize that you had to see me in such a state, but now that I've cleared my head we can get back down to brass tacks. You see, I've got another problem you can help me with. A bridge builder is heading to this village with a squad of kunoichi; he is attempting to finish a bridge that could destroy the hold I have over this island. I've already sent another kunoichi, Zasuna Momochi, and her servant to deal with them. I'd like you to go to serve as insurance."

"That was not in the contract," Sori stated.

"What does it matter?"

"Our leader is very particular about the missions we take and who takes them," Sori replied, "My partner and I are specialists in sabotage, infiltration, and demolition; if our fight with these kunoichi escalates there is no guarantee that we won't level any of your property to the ground. If you wish for an assassination you will have to request a new contract."

"Another contract! After your complete failure you expect me to spend more money!" Gato's mouth was nearly frothing at the very thought of it.

"I'm sure they'll offer you a discount," Sori drawled out. She was sure that if she spent another minute being yelled at by this little grub, she'd make him dance right out the window with her chakra thread.

"Forget it, just get out of my sight, and inform your leader that she has lost my business," Gato huffed as he plopped into his chair.

"I'll be sure to break it to her gently," Sori replied, and signaled Deidara and her little friend to follow her out.

xxxXxxx

"I can't believe you actually worked for that monster," Naruto said when they were a good ways away from that man's HQ and back in the warehouse.

"It's not like we enjoy it," Deidara said, "but if we killed every client that annoyed us no one would hire us again."

"No need to dwell on it further," Sori said and with a wave of her hand she brought a puppet down out of the shadows.

"What is that thing?" Naruto actually took a step back as he laid eyes on it. It looked a like a grown man's body, with a bandana masking the mouth, and black hair in a topknot, but from there it just got weird. Aside from all the wooden parts, its left arm looked like a bumpy mace and its torso was completely disproportionate to its body. To add even more weirdness, the torso also had a giant, angry, iron face attached to its back. This puppet also gave him the same uncomfortable vibe that Sori did.

"This is Hiruko, the puppet I travel in," Sasori answered.

"Why?"

"Good practice," Sori replied, a bit surprised by his curiosity as most people who saw her human puppets were put on edge, "I also hate walking."

"_I can see why these two are partners," _Naruto thought as he recalled all the moments Deidara complained about having to walk.

"Deidara," Sori said as she sealed herself in the puppet, and wrapped a cloak around it, "we need to report our failure to the Leader."

"Actually, Sori, I promised to find Naruto a ride to the Hidden Leaf Village," Deidara said as she scratched her head nervously.

"Well, as rewards go that one isn't very demanding, or creative," Sori replied taking a moment to think it over before answering, "but I suppose it wouldn't be too much trouble."

"Actually, Dara-chan, Sori-san, I'm going to stay here and help," the announcement caught them both off guard, "These people need all the help they can get and I can't leave them like this."

"Didn't we already go over this?" Deidara asked.

"I know _I _can't do much," Naruto began, swallowing that pill, "but I can help with the construction of that bridge. I'm sure they wouldn't mind the extra hands, or a medic."

"If Gato finds out you're opposing him he won't hesitate to kill you," Deidara interjected, hoping to dissuade her friend.

"I-I know, but like I said they need help and I'm not the type of guy to ignore those in need, and if there's a shot that that bridge can do what Gato says it does I'm willing to put life one the line," in that moment Deidara saw Naruto in a new light, and she couldn't help but think that there was something more to him than just a pretty face.

"Look at you, acting like the big hero," Deidara teased slapping him on the back, "but if you're going to start helping these folks Gato's going to have an easy time finding you."

"What do you mean?"

"With the power he has Gato isn't above making people disappear," Sori stated matter-of-factly, "and I'll bet that the only reason he's waited this long to kill the bridge builder was so he could truly destroy the people's spirit. He's already seen you, and in this village you stick out like a black sheep, if you want to help you're going to need a disguise."

"And we can help with that," Deidara exclaimed.

"We?" Sori asked, "Why would _we_ do anything."

"Because we still haven't given him a reward," Deidara shot back, then added smugly, "and it was you who said he deserved it."

Sori huffed but gave a grudging, "Fine." Naruto heard her shuffling around in Hiruko, until he heard a CLACK and from beneath the puppet's mask popped out a hand holding a gray wig, "Here." Sori didn't seem to understand that taking anything offered by a hand sticking out a mouth unnerved lots of people. When no one grabbed the wig, she assumed they hadn't noticed, so she shook her hand, and said "Take the wig."

"…Thanks," Naruto weakly replied, "Why do you have a wig in there?"

"On long travels I like to decorate my puppets' heads," Sori answered, quite taken with his interest in puppetry, so very few could truly appreciate the advantages of her art.

"Wow, this feels like real hair," Naruto said as he examined the wig, "You must've paid an arm and a leg for this."

"Something like that," Sori replied as her arm slithered back into the puppet.

"_Man, kunoichi are weird," _Naruto thought as he tried on the wig. It was a good fit; straight, shoulder-length, and parted down the middle the gray hair made him look like a different person. "How do I look?"

"A little weird, but good, now for my gifts," Deidara plucked a pair of tinted goggles from her pouch and placed them on his head, "I use these when I make my clay, they should help hide your eyes."

"Thanks," Naruto said gratefully while fiddling with the glasses.

Then Deidara took some clay from her emergency stash, "I know you said I wasn't supposed to use any jutsu with my hands all banged up, but I was practicing at night while you caught some Zs."

"Dara-chan…"

"Yeah, yeah, but now I can do this," She spread the clay across his cheeks and colored it to match his skin, "aren't you glad you know such an artistic woman, who can help you hide your cute whisker marks. You can take it off and put on as you please, yeah."

Naruto gave Deidara a great big hug, unable to contain his gratitude, "Thank you so much, Dara-chan."

Despite the surprise, Deidara returned the hug with just as much warmth, "Of course, I'd do anything for you."

"What?" Naruto asked looking at her.

"I said I'm glad I could do this for you," Deidara replied, upset that she always back-stepped instead of taking the leap and telling him how she felt. "Now listen, I'm going to pay that boatman we used for another month's work, so promise me that when this scene starts to turn ugly you'll get to him and get out of here."

Naruto was at a loss, he never thought he would meet such a kind person in his travels. They had traveled for nearly a month together, dealing with some embarrassing situations and trading stories; he couldn't deny that it had brought them together, but for her to go so far just to keep him safe. Finding his voice he answered, "I promise."

"Deidara, come on," Sori called as she shuffled out the warehouse in her puppet.

"Right behind you," Deidara shouted back. Taking one last look at Naruto she realized that it might be a long while before she saw him again. She didn't want to leave things like this, without him knowing how she felt, how touched she was that he nursed a stranger back to health, and how much their time together meant to her. She was a powerful and infamous kunoichi who blew up any one that crossed her, and had always been unashamed of her eccentricity and attitude; it was ridiculous that she had such a tough time doing this.

"_That's right, I'm the Blond Bomber, baby!" _so in spur of spontaneity she took Naruto in her arms and laid a passionate kiss...

…On his cheek.

When she pulled away, Naruto put a hand on his cheek, blushing slightly, "Another reward?"

"_Why can't I do this!" _Honestly, there had to be something wrong with her. It's not like she'd never kissed anyone before. There had been a couple of men, and a few women, even enemy kunoichi, but this; this just made her want to eat a curb made of her clay.

"Deidara!"

Deciding to take the exit provided, she ran to catch up, but not before turning back to him, "See you around Naruto-kun, and don't forget me or I'll have to show you the kind of bang my art makes."

"It'd be pretty hard to forget you Dara-chan," Naruto said with big smile as he watched her run out of the warehouse. _"Man, kunoichi are weird."_

xxxXxxx


	5. Where I Stayed to Help

**So far people are enjoying the story and I hope to continue that run.**

**Every writer should make sure to thank their betas/editors so thanks to my Betas **otakufangirl101 **and **The Keeper of Worlds. **Their support improves and keeps this story running. **

**And a thank you to **agui972**,** Twilight-Lloyd**,** Deflow**,** LordXeenTheGreat**, **RokuAnsatsu**, **Z19**, and **Soulhope The Wolf **for their reviews. And guys keep those ideas coming **RokuAnsatsu **gave me some good ones that made it into the story, so who knows you might bring up something I forgot to cover.**

**Apologies for the two week delay, real life and what not. **

**Also I've got a map of the Elemental Nations I'm using for this story up on my profile, so check it out to know whats where. **

**NOTE: This story HAS been beta'd and updated.**

**xxxXxxx**

**Month Zero Week Three: Where I Stayed to Help**

After eavesdropping and inquiring for a day, Naruto had found out that the bridge builder had a family and where they lived. Now he stood in front of their door, but before he could even raise his hand to knock a woman threw the door open, brandishing an iron skillet in her hand, "Get away from my home!"

"Wait! Wait!" Naruto shouted scrambling backwards, "I'm here to help!"

"Who are you?" Tsunami asked, skillet still raised threateningly.

"I'm…" Wait could he use his real name? Did Gato even know it? Did he even remember what he looked like? Probably better to play it safe, "I'm Keiji."

"What do you want?" Tsunami asked.

"Like I said, I want to help," Naruto answered picking himself up.

"I've never seen you in this village, how do I know you're not one of Gato's hired mercenaries?"

"I can't really say I have any evidence to convince you, but I did meet the man, and he is the most disgusting human that I've ever met. I escorted a friend here and I was just going to pass through, but then I saw what was happening," Naruto looked straight into Tsunami's eyes as he explained all this, glad to see her slowly lowering her skillet.

"Coming onto this island is difficult. This friend you escorted here, what was their business?" Tsunami asked hoping that he was earnest in his desire to help them. She doubted she could fight off anyone Gato hired.

"She was a kunoichi…who worked for Gato," seeing the skillet rising into the air again he pressed on, "_worked_, she worked for Gato. Gato wasn't happy with her work, so he fired her, and I—"

"Stayed to help," Tsunami finished.

"Yes, do you believe me now?"

"No, at least not entirely, but you were honest with me and that's a step in the right direction," Tsunami answered, "besides, if Gato did send you to help finish the bridge I'm not going to waste the help; I'll just have to keep a close eye on you."

"So, can I come in?"

"No, I thinks it's best if we talk out here," Tsunami replied, and now that she wasn't scared for her life, she took a moment to take in his appearance. The goggles put her off a bit, as he appeared to be trying to hide something. From what she could see of his face, it was easy to tell that he was young, "So how exactly can you help?"

"Aside from the extra hands, I'm a trained doctor," Naruto answered.

"A doctor?" They could definitely use one of those, since Gato killed the last one, "Well we could use one of those, but you do realize that helping us will make you a prime target for Gato, if you aren't working for him."

"I know, but I can't walk away from people who need my help," Naruto answered with conviction.

"Alright, I assume you know where the bridge is?" At his nod she continued, "Meet me there tomorrow and I'll assign you some work."

"You're the foreman?"

"I learned a lot from my father, and who better to lead construction while he's away than his daughter?" Tsunami replied.

xxxXxxx

Construction had gone smoothly the rest of the week and that worried Naruto, because each passing moment was bringing them closer and closer to whatever scheme Gato had in the works. Besides construction, Naruto had finally managed to gain Tsunami's trust through a combination of treating workers and their families, and risking his life to save two workers when a part of the bridge gave out. He had also managed to set up a campground outside of the village; not much game to catch but there was plenty of edible vegetation.

"Tsunami-san! Tsunami-san!" Construction stopped as everyone turned their attention to the young man running up to the foreman.

"Jo, what's wrong?" Tsunami asked praying that Gato wasn't making his move.

"It's your father, he's back!" Jo wheezed out.

"What? Is he okay?" Tsunami asked frantically.

"He's fine, but one of the kunoichi guarding him isn't. They need a doctor," Jo replied.

"Keiji, follow me!" Tsunami called out, as she raced home.

"I'm right behind you," Naruto called back, gathering his supplies and turning to leave but not before addressing his patient, "Don't pick at the cast Moji, and don't go climbing any trees until it heals."

"Yes, ," the young boy drawled out.

xxxXxxx

Tsunami ran into her home calling out for her father, "Father! Father!"

"I'm in the den," Tsunami burst into the den and wrapped her father in bone crushing hug.

"You're back, you're really back!" Tsunami sobbed as she held her father tightly.

"I'm glad to see you missed me, Tsunami-chan," Tazuna said returning his daughter's warm embrace.

The touching reunion was cut short when one of the kunoichi approached Tazuna, "Tazuna-san, I'm sorry to interrupt but, Tsunami-san, did you bring the doctor we asked for?"

"I'm right here," Naruto said as he walked into the room; taking time to observe the new arrivals. They were three girls about his age, and a woman lying on the ground, his patient. The one who asked about him was a girl with pink shoulder-length hair, green eyes, and fair skin. She wore a red top, black gloves, black low-heel calf-high boots, and red cloth headband wrapped around her head. "I'm N-Keiji, what's the situation?"

"It's our sensei, she collapsed after our battle with Zasuna Momochi," the one who answered was a very pale girl, with short black hair, and black eyes. She wore a black top that only had one sleeve and exposed her midriff, black pants, black sandals, and a head band. Something about her face unnerved him, it reminded him of Sori for some reason.

"You're pretty young, are you sure you're a doctor," this snarky comment was delivered by the last girl who was leaning against the wall, sword in hand. She was the tallest amongst her team mates, fair skinned, black eyes, and shoulder length black hair that framed her face. She wore a white high-collared short-sleeved shirt with a zipper, dark blue pants, grey shinobi sandals, and a thick purple cloth belt around her waist.

"Judging from what I can see, the lack of wounds and blood, and her recent battle with an enemy combatant, all signs point to poison or chakra exhaustion," Naruto said, smiling pleasantly at the girl, "Of course that's only from what I can see, once I take a closer look I can be sure."

"No, you're right, it is chakra exhaustion," the pink haired one said, "I'm sorry about Satsuki-chan, she isn't good with people. I'm Sakura Haruno, and my other team mate is Sai."

"And my patient?" Naruto asked as he kneeled next to the unconscious woman and began pulling out his equipment. He also pulled off his googles as the low lighting inside the home made them a serious hindrance.

"Kashiko Hatake."

"How long has she been out?" Naruto asked as he began stripping her of her clothes.

"What are you doing to our sensei?" Satsuki asked as she drew her blade.

"Easy, I can't check her for injuries if she's covered head to toe, and don't worry I'll leave her underwear on," Naruto answered looking her square in the eyes. "This isn't the first time I've had to look over a half-naked woman; it's part of the job. That being said, I need everyone except for one of you kunoichi to leave the room, a patient is entitled to their privacy after all."

"I'll stay," Satsuki said immediately, the distrust evident in her eyes. Everyone else cleared out leaving the three of them alone, "be quick about your work, and if I catch your eyes or hands wandering, I'll take them."

"You're friend is right, you are bad with people. I'm going to need help taking off her clothes," Naruto said, and wordlessly Satsuki moved to help him. Naruto kept his eyes on the patient to make sure she had no other injuries besides the obvious bruises and cuts. He didn't notice the looks Satsuki would shoot at him from time to time. "You forgot to answer my question."

"What?" Satsuki asked.

"I need to know how long she's been out," Naruto replied.

"About two hours," she answered.

"That's a dangerous amount of time to deal with chakra exhaustion; she'll need an infusion of chakra immediately," Naruto said, and set about patching up the more serious looking cuts. When that was done, he searched Kashiko's flak jacket.

"What are you doing now?" Satsuki asked.

"Searching for a brush, some ink, and blank seal tags," Naruto said as he went through the pouches taking what he needed, "there we go."

"What do you need those for?"

"To start her on a chakra infusion treatment," Naruto replied, "you're lucky my father had to treat kunoichi from time to time, otherwise your sensei would take two or three weeks to fully recover." Naruto placed a slip of paper down and began to draw out a seal formula.

"A seal tag? A man can't use kunoichi techniques," Satsuki said.

"Your right, I can't, but seals are different," Naruto replied as he finished one tag and placed it on Kashiko's forehead, after removing her headband. "Men have chakra, and they can even grow their chakra reserves through exercise like kunoichi. We, however, lack the ability to mold the chakra through our chakra coils. Seals, however, mold the chakra into a specified use, and with this seal," Naruto pointed to a spiral seal at the bottom of the tag, "it gathers the natural chakra emitted from all living things, so I don't have to charge the seal."

"So what exactly does this seal do?" Satsuki asked.

Naruto took a pause from his work and turned to her, "You're a curious girl aren't you? Come on don't make that face."

A small clink noise drew Naruto's attention to Satsuki's sword, "Get back to work."

"Okay," Naruto picked up the brush and got back to it, "now to answer your question, what these seals are going to do is jump start Kashiko's natural chakra recovery process." He finished a second one and placed it on Kashiko's stomach.

"But chakra exhaustion is more than just running out of chakra," Satsuki said.

"Right again, chakra exhaustion is akin to pulling a muscle," Naruto replied, "the seal tags are like ice packs, relieving the strain. Then their second function kicks in, which is to slowly add to chakra reserves, like an IV drip." Naruto finished the last seal and placed it on Kashiko's breast, over her heart.

With a dusting of red on her face, Satsuki pointed her blade at Naruto, "Why did you place that on her bare breast?"

"Skin contact, it's the most efficient way, same reason they have to go over the chakra gates, safest place to infuse chakra because they'll limit the amount that can get into her system to keep the strain on it minimal," Naruto answered. Covering Kashiko with a blanket, Naruto stood up and dusted of his hands, "Okay, I'm done here. Come on, she needs her rest."

The two left the room and found the other's waiting in the kitchen. Sakura spoke up first, "Is Kashiko-sensei going to be alright?"

"She'll be fine," Naruto replied taking a seat, "She should be up by tomorrow. I'll come check on her then."

"Thank you, Keiji-kun," Tsunami said, "would you like to come over for dinner tonight, after work of course."

"I'd love to," Naruto replied, it be nice to have something other than leaves and roots for dinner.

"Father, you and the kunoichi can relax here, Keiji and I have got to go back to work," Tsunami explained getting up from the table.

"Thank you, sweetheart," Tazuna replied as he uncorked his gourd and took a swig.

"Actually, Tsunami-san, I'll accompany you to the bridge," Satsuki spoke up, "guarding Tazuna and his family is the mission objective."

"Alright," and with that the three left, leaving Satsuki's team mates to ponder something odd with her behavior.

"Did Satsuki just volunteer?" Sakura asked Sai.

"Yes, very odd considering her dislike of watching out for others," Sai replied, "I wonder why she wished to escort them?"

"Do you think-no," Sakura shook her head in disbelief.

"Do you know something?" Sai asked.

"Well, what if, and I really mean _what if_ she went because of Keiji?" Sakura asked back.

"Don't be a fool, hag, Satsuki had never shown an interest in anyone even the dozens of men and women that throw themselves at her feet," Sai replied.

"You're the fool, freak, didn't you see all the glances she was sneaking at him? Not to mention how hot Keiji is, and his eyes are so dreamy," Sakura answered blushing a bit herself.

"Really?" Sai asked. This was an unexpected development, she would have to keep a close eye on the two and make sure nothing interfered with her master's plan.

xxxXxxx

The day over and the work done, the trio headed back home. As they walked along the path Tsunami spoke up, "This walk home is my favorite part of the day, the village feels like it used to, before Gato came." The trio was on the last street to Tsunami's home.

"Don't worry, Nami-chan, we'll finish that bridge and when we do, the people will have hope again, and then we'll rise against Gato," Naruto said giving Tsunami his signature grin.

The older woman blushed, and was about to speak up but Satsuki beat her to the punch, "Do you really believe that?" Naruto turned to Satsuki, "Gato has men and kunoichi at his call, he's got money and resources. Do really think this village stands a chance against him?"

Tsunami head dropped as she listened to Satsuki speak, her heart sinking further as the young kunoichi reminded her of the giant they were facing. Could they really retake their home? She wasn't so sure now.

"Yes, I do," Tsunami's head snapped to Naruto, "you probably think I'm naïve."

"Perhaps," Satsuki replied, "your village and her people are beaten and broken."

"You're right," Naruto replied to the surprise of both women, "but bruises heal and broken things can be put back together, maybe not like they were before, but what's so wrong with change. Who knows they might be better than before."

"Not everything broken can be fixed," Satsuki knew this better than anyone.

"I don't believe that," Naruto replied turning to her, "I think things stay broken because people stop trying, or maybe they want things to stay broken. Oh, and I'm not from this village."

If Satsuki wasn't a kunoichi she wouldn't have been able to school her feature so quickly, "Then why are you putting your life at risk for strangers?"

Naruto chuckled at her question before saying, "People really like asking me that, and my reply is always along these lines: I want to help people, it's all I've ever wanted to do."

"Hn," was Satsuki's reply, before she vanished.

"Kunoichi sure are weird aren't they, Nami-chan?" Naruto said. When he didn't receive a reply he turned to Tsunami and found tears in her eyes, "Nami-chan, what's wrong?"

"N-Nothing," Tsunami replied wiping away her tears, "I'm just happy someone like you came to our village."

Naruto smiled and opened his mouth, only to be interrupted by three men walking out of the alleys, each carrying a sword, "Well we know someone who isn't happy with him." Naruto quickly stepped in front of Tsunami and pulled out his staff, "you really think you have a chance of beating us punk?"

"Why don't you step over here and find out?" Naruto shot back. The three men laughed before one suddenly charged him. The man swung his sword wide and Naruto easily parried the blow and gave him a jab to the shin. The man hopped up and down rubbing his shin cursing up a storm until Naruto slammed his staff on his skull. The man dropped to the floor like a sack of rice.

Now the apparent leader was mad, "Beat his ass!" The two men wasted no time rushing him, forcing Naruto to back up with each swing. They were obviously trained better than their friend, each swing was precise and powerful, and they covered each other well. A change of tactics was needed, so Naruto moved to the left leaving one man behind the other for a moment. That opening was what Naruto needed to feint a swing.

The man took the bait, and Naruto took the opening to jam his staff into the man's chest knocking the air out of him. With his crony catching his breath the leader came after Naruto, and now one on one, Naruto would be able to take the offensive. He locked weapons against the leader, who had more muscle and weight on him, but this was so Naruto could stomp on his toes.

The man howled in pain, probably regretting that he wore geta sandals to a fight, until Naruto punched him in the nose. Dizzied for a moment, the man had no chance to defend against a knee to the groin. The leader curled into a ball on the floor while Naruto dealt with his last man by using his staff to choke him out.

"Who's the punk now?" Naruto spat as he looked down on the leader.

"Oh my balls, h-help us you idiots!" The leader screamed clutching his cracked walnuts.

"They can't," Satsuki said as she walked out of the same alley the men came from, wiping her blade with a cloth, "they've all gone to pieces."

"D-Damn…" Naruto brought his staff down on the man's head before he had to hear anymore.

"So that's where you went," Naruto said as Satsuki joined them.

"Yes, I sensed them tailing us since we left the construction site," Satsuki replied, "we should probably get back to the house."

"Of course," Tsunami answered weakly, a bit shook by the ordeal, "let's go."

xxxXxxx

Tazuna slammed his fist into the table, "Damn that bastard, Gato!"

Naruto could understand his anger, because he felt the same way. After they returned home Tsunami, Naruto, and Satsuki relayed their encounter to everyone else over dinner. They were joined at the table by Tsunami's son, Inari, a moody young man if Naruto ever met one.

"It's a good thing you were there, Satsuki," Naruto said, "glad to see such a capable kunoichi on our side."

"Thank you, you handled yourself well, for a man," Satsuki replied with a smirk. Sai and Sakura exchanged looks as Satsuki continued, "but, it seems Gato's out for head now, so it's probably best that you stay with us now, for your own safety."

"She's right Keiji-kun," Tsunami interjected, "I couldn't bear it if-"

"Whoa, whoa, I completely agree, you guys don't have to twist my arm," Naruto interjected.

"He should just run away," Inari piped up, "you'll only die if you stay and fight Gato."

"Inari," Tsunami chided.

"No, he's right, that's exactly what I should do," Naruto said smiling at their surprised faces, "if, I wanted to save my own life, but I'm in this until the end."

"Are stupid or crazy?!" Inari shouted, "Gato'a going to kill you all, and you're trying to act like a hero, aren't you terrified?"

"Terrified? Of course I'm terrified, who wouldn't be?" Naruto said, "I'm not a warrior, there's no army behind me, all I've got is this big stick to fight against a rich, powerful, and ruthless man. You think I've some death wish, I don't; I'm scared, but that's exactly why I can't run, because that's how men like Gato win. They terrify everyone into submission, and when someone fights back they kill them."

Naruto rose from the table and got eye to eye with Inari, "Do you know why tyrants kill the people who fight back, Inari?" The young boy shook his head, "They kill them because they're scared of them, because they know that if one person rises up it won't be long before more and more people join them."

"That's not true," Inari muttered, remembering what happened to the man he idolized, how no one stood alongside him when he needed them to.

"Of course it's true, your grandfather and mother are proof," Naruto said nodding to Tazuna and Tsunami. "They built that bridge to fight Gato, and now they have a whole workforce behind them, they even got me to join," Naruto said all this with a great big grin on his face.

"Why?" Inari whispered.

"Hmm?"

"Why are trying so hard for complete strangers!?" Inari yelled.

Naruto laughed then answered, "That seems to be the question of the day, and the answer is really simple. All I've ever wanted to do is help people, in any way I can."

"But Gato he's too strong, we can't win," Inari replied sullenly.

Naruto gently knocked the boy's chin up and said, "This village is your home and that's worth fighting for. Besides, I don't believe in lost causes."

And as the young boy stared up at this selfless stranger he was reminded of a man just as selfless and brave, "I'll be in my room." Inari left without a word from anyone's mouth.

Once he was gone Naruto turned to Tsunami, "Sorry, did I upset him?"

"No," Tsunami replied, "I think the opposite."

"Great," Naruto said cheerily, "so where do I sleep?"

**xxxXxxx**

**There it is folks sorry for the two week delay, but I'm looking for work and that takes up time. Not mention that I'm working on side projects that have nothing to do with fanfiction. I hope you'll enjoy the next chapter.**


	6. And I Ran into Trouble

**Lots of positive reviews on my last chapter, thanks guys. The whole reason I write these stories is because I love entertaining people with my stories.**

**Every writer should make sure to thank their betas/editors so thanks to my Betas **otakufangirl101 **and **The Keeper of Worlds. **Their support improves and keeps this story running. **

**And a thank you to **bcsclaymore**, **agui972**,** The Lone Swordswolf**, **El Frijolero**, **6nine9**,** Deflow**,** LordXeenTheGreat**, **RokuAnsatsu**, **Z19**, **Pric3y**, **Randomness64**, **Banjo the Fox**, and **Soulhope The Wolf **for their reviews. And guys keep those ideas coming **RokuAnsatsu **gave me some good ones that made it into the story, so who knows you might bring up something I forgot to cover.**

**bcsclaymore: **Naruto already knows some fuinjustu, but he will learn some more along the way.

**Soulhope The Wolf: **I tried giving that a shot in this chapter, but I'll definitely give a detailed description to new characters.

**Banjo the Fox: **Yes I'm working on a reveal for team seven.

**Also I've got a map of the Elemental Nations I'm using for this story up on my profile, so check it out to know whats where. **

**NOTE: This story has not been beta'd**

**xxxXxxx**

**Month One Week One: And I Ran into Trouble  
**

Naruto looked around before walking into the woods where he made camp. He had left early in the morning, before anyone was up to retrieve the last of his supplies from his campsite. He thought it best to come alone with none of his belongings, except for a backpack, and with his disguise off to get past any of Gato's thugs. Luckily, his plan paid off and none of Gato's men even batted an eyelash at him. Now, as he worked his way through the bushes that hid his camp he thought of what supplies he needed, and what he could afford to leave behind. He wasn't expecting to leave anything behind, but he knew better than most to expect the unexpected.

However, the girl rifling through his camp like a hungry bear was something he definitely wasn't expecting. "Looking for anything in particular?" The girl spun around a bottle of painkillers in hand, "Those are my things, so I could probably help you find what you're looking for, maybe."

"I-Sorry, I-I was gathering plants for a friend," she began, putting down the bottle embarrassed to have been caught with her hands in the cookie jar, "when I came upon this campsite, it looked abandoned so I thought…"

"Thought you could help yourself," Naruto finished for her as he picked up the bottle of painkillers and placed it in his bag, "so these plants you were gathering, did they happen to be medicinal?"

"Yes," the girl answered, surprised at his astuteness, "how?"

"Given the state this village and nation are in, I don't think it's likely that you're out here looking for roses to freshen up the room," Naruto answered.

"I'm sorry for trying to steal from you, I'll be on my way."

"Wait," Naruto grabbed her hand, "if you're gathering these plants, than your friend needs help, right?"

"Yes."

"Then take me to your friend," Naruto said, "after you help me gather my supplies."

"You…want to help?" Haku asked in disbelief.

"After you help," Naruto reminded her.

"Why?"

"Everyone always asks that," Naruto said taking a pondering pose, "You'd think it be enough that I want to help, right? Hmm, well to answer your question it's because I like to help people."

"That's it?" Naruto briefly wondered if she could look any more skeptical than she already did.

"That's it," Naruto answered, "and I could do it a lot faster if you helped." Quickly, the girl went about the campsite grabbing everything Naruto asked for. With her help, it wasn't long until Naruto's pack bulged with his supplies, "Ah, I forgot introductions, I'm—" Wait, fake name or real name? Well he wasn't wearing his disguise so best not to make things confusing, "Naruto."

"I'm Haku," the girl replied. She wore a loose fitting pink kimono, silk black hair fell below her shoulders, and he'd be lying if he said she wasn't gorgeous. From what else he could spy he could tell she wore bandages around her breasts, meaning they were on the larger side probably a C-cup. Her clothing hid too much of her figure, but from the sash wrapped around her he could tell she was slim waisted.

"Alright, now take me to your friend and I'll see what I can do."

xxxXxxx

"My, my, you certainly have a unique way of living," Naruto commented as they walked towards a literal tree house, it even had little window holes.

"My mistress cares for her privacy," Haku replied leading him to a ladder they would use to reach the house.

"Mistress?" Naruto asked as he began scaling the ladder behind Haku.

"Yes, she rescued me when I was a young girl, and I've been in her service ever since," Haku answered as she climbed into the house, "here, give me your hand."

Naruto did as he was told, and was surprised to feel her lift him past the last few rungs of the ladder, "You, uh, you're very strong."

"My mistress works me hard," Haku explained as she guided him to her mistress.

"Not too hard, I hope," Naruto said as they finally came to his patient's room, "Alright, time to take a look." Haku eyed Naruto carefully as he looked over her mistress, taking note of whenever he 'hmmed' or 'ahhed', "I see you mistress took some major damage to the torso."

"Uhh," both turned their attention to the moans of the groggy woman, "Haku, have you gotten those herbs yet?"

"Something better," Haku pointed to Naruto.

"Kid, I appreciate the sentiment, but now's not the time for a prostitute," she eyed Naruto up and down before adding, "though you've got good taste, keep him around for later."

Naruto spluttered at the woman's audacity before angrily saying, "I'm a doctor, not some man whore!"

"Oh, that is better. Good job Haku," the woman said to her ward and turned back to Naruto, "so what's the diagnoses, Doc?"

"I'll actually need your help for that," Naruto replied, and then pressed two fingers to her ribs, "how does this feel?"

"Damn it!" she cursed shouted.

"Zasuna-sama!" Haku cried out.

When Naruto heard the name he immediately froze. Zasuna was the name of the woman who attacked Satsuki and her team, that meant that Haku was her accomplice, and he had just walked into the enemy's home base, _"Okay, just be cool."_

"You did that on pupose," Zasuna spat.

Naruto chuckled, a bit too loudly, and replied, "O-Of course not, what about here?" The woman cursed as Naruto touched another tender spot. That's how it went for the next couple of minutes, until Naruto finally found out the extent of the damage, "Eight fractures, did you lose a fight with a boar?"

"Something like that, what can you do, doc?" Sasuna asked.

"Well, you're twice lucky. Once because none of them broke," Naruto began as he pulled a small jar full of paper thin white worms, "and twice because the world is full of amazing little things, like these guys. Shoko Worms, better known as bone bugs, ever heard of them?"

"Can't say we have," Zasuna replied, eyeing the worms curiously.

"Nasty little things that like finding fractures, breaks, holes, and starches on bones and wrapping themselves around the injury, and spewing this mucus that holds and fuses to the bone creating a sort of cocoon while they eat the bone and marrow," Naruto explained placing the jar down and digging through his pack for something else.

"And what are you going to do with those?" Haku asked.

"I'm going to put them inside your mistress of course," Naruto answered; an answer Zasuna and Haku had very big problems with. Before their disagreements became hostile he presented a hot coil with a funnel to focus the heat, "don't worry that's what this is for, these little guys love the heat, and they'll chase it rather than eat."

"You are not shoving bugs inside me!" Zasuna screamed.

"Of course I'm not," Naruto replied as he reached into a small pouch and pulled out a long metal needle, "at least not while you're awake." He pricked her arm with the needle and waited.

"Ow! What the hell…was that…you…bastaarr…" Zasuna head lolled to the side as she drifted off to dream land.

"That's better," Naruto said.

"What did you do to her?" Haku shouted as she pulled out her senbon.

"Easy, it was a sleeping drug. She'll wake up fine and dandy, not even a headache," Naruto answered calmly, "patients get really…fussy when I use the bugs, so it's just easier to knock them out. Now, if you'll excuse me I have to get to work."

"Why do you have all this?" Haku asked, not comprehending why someone would have these things.

"Would you believe that I was very, very nervous about journeying and over packed?" Naruto replied.

"I suppose," Haku replied.

"Good," Naruto took a long thick needle out of his pack, "Now, I'm starting to think that you and your friend might be kunoichi, so just to be on the safe side, I'm going to explain what's going to happen." Naruto opened the jar of weapons and checked his hot coil to make sure it had a charge, "Understand."

"Yes."

"Good now I'm going to stick this needle into you friend making a path for the worm to ribs. Now you'd think this is dangerous and impossible because of the muscle attached to the ribs, but these little guys and their mucus have evolved to glide between the muscle and bone, they hate meat, I don't' know why."

"You haven't explained what these bugs will do," Haku said.

"Haven't I?" Naruto asked and waved it off before answering, "The mucus these little guys secrete is rich in calcium and if the worm is removed before they start eating it acts as like a dissolving bandage, holding the bone together while giving it some calcium."

"What if you cut an important vein with that needle?" Haku asked the medic part of her interested in his skill and knowledge.

"I've done this before and it's worked out fine, besides if I knick a vein we'll know immediately," Naruto replied as he sunk the needle in.

"Because she'll start to bleed immensely," Haku finished for him.

"Correct," Naruto said. Then he slowly pulled out the needle and dropped the worm over the wound.

Haku watched in sick fascination as the worm burrowed its way in. "Now we give it time," and so they waited making small talk and trading little tidbits of information. Naruto and Haku found one another to be of similar beliefs. Both hated to see others harmed and would rather help than hurt anyone. Naruto was also impressed by Haku's knowledge of poisons, anti-venoms, trauma care, and combat medic arts. He even learned one or two things from her. Haku in turn was fascinated to find someone like herself in the world, and she admired him for not turning his back on them, like she had. Time moved all too quick for Haku and soon Naruto was up and moving to Zasuna's side.

He grabbed the heat coil and placed it over the wound. "Come on little guy, you and friends are expensive," Haku waited nervously as Naruto kept his focus on the wound and finally the worm rose out the skin. "There we go," quick as can be Naruto plucked the worm and placed it back in the jar. "Now we just rinse and repeat."

It took about two hours for Naruto to finally finish bandaging all of Zasubna's ribs, and explained, "Her healing time has just been cut down to a week or so."

"Incredible," Haku exclaimed knowing that the healing time for fractures was much longer.

"Well I am quite talented," Naruto didn't see anything wrong with preening a bit. Then he began to write a seal formula on a piece of paper.

"What are you doing now?" Haku asked.

"See that area there that looks like a bruise," Naruto pointed to a rather nasty looking patch of purple skin.

"Yes," Haku said wondering what he was getting until it clicked in her mind, "Internal bleeding."

"Exactly," Naruto finished the seal and held it up to her, "I can't run a diagnostic jutsu like a kunoichi, but this seal can do it for me. It'll run a scan and show me whether the bleeding is stopping, or if I'll have to open her up and stop it myself."

"I can't believe I missed that," Haku chastised herself, "and don't worry I can run a diagnostic on her." Naruto stepped aside and waved for Haku to go ahead. Running through the appropriate seals Haku's hands were covered in green chakra which she held above Zasuna. Naruto observed the operation with great interest; it wasn't often that he got witness an actual medical justu in action. It took a moment but when Haku removed her hands from Zasuna the smile on her face told all he needed to know, "She's going to be fine."

"Good," Naruto sighed in relief, "because I've only ever performed like two surgeries. I guess there is nothing to do but wait until she wakes up, and give her a final check-up."

"Thank you, for all this, Naruto-kun," Haku said taking a hold of his hand, but dropped it when she felt an unexpected heat flash through her. Naruto stared at her questioningly and waited for her to continue, oblivious of the feelings welling up inside her, "We-We have no money to pay you, but would you care for something to eat instead?"

Naruto had never intended to ask for any pay, but as the situation winded down he began to feel those familiar pangs of hunger. He smiled and graciously accepted the offer. "Come," Haku said leading him to a small table, while she went to where ever the kitchen was, and as she handled that Naruto took the time to ponder his current predicament.

He knew that his new acquaintances were the kunoichi that had attacked Satsuki and her team. He, however, had never been one to turn his back on people in need and they hadn't been hostile to him, still he would need to tread lightly in case their hospitality suddenly soured. He also hoped that his friends weren't panicking over his disappearance; he would've told them of his plans if he had known he would be dragged out here. Of course, that also brought up the question of what to do with this newly acquired information.

In the time he took to ponder all this, Haku had whipped up a good meal for the both of them. Putting those questions on the back burner he decided that being on Haku and Zasuna's good side would be the best course of action to make it out of here. "Mmm, what's this? Smells delicious."

"Thank you," Haku took the compliment as her mistress wasn't in the habit of praising her skills outside of combat, "I hope you find it to your liking."

"Free food from a pretty girl, things are already to my liking," Naruto replied a bit taken by the attractive picture she made with the red dusting her cheeks.

"I'm glad," Haku said suddenly feeling giddy.

Noticing a look he was all too familiar with in her eyes, Naruto hoped that he could make it back without any trouble, "Not as much as I am."

xxxXxxx

Haku quietly observed Naruto as he ran Zasuna through a final check-up. She could tell he was having trouble concentrating as her mistress kept dropping dirty little comments.

"How about I send Haku out and you can give me a thorough check-up, cutie." Haku wouldn't admit it out loud, but she was glad Naruto didn't accept any of her mistress's offers and finished the check-up.

When that was done he rifled through his bag and produced a bottle that he handed to Haku, "These painkillers will help her manage any pain her ribs cause her, only two every four to six hours that's very important." Naruto closed up his pack and turned back to them, "I guess this is goodbye. I'm glad I could help but I've got to be on my way, people to help and sights to see."

Zasuna and Haku watched as he headed out the room, "I was hoping he'd accept my offer so we could do this the fun way, too bad. Haku, you know what to do."

"Hai, Zasuna-sama," Haku bowed and vanished into thin air.

"_I'm home free," _Naruto thought to himself as he made his way into the room with the ladder, only to have that thought crushed as he found Haku in there as well. "Haku? Did I forget something? I mean, I'm sure I have everything and, uh, if you're worried don't, I can find my way back." When Haku said nothing Naruto's fears were realized, "You're…You're not letting me leave are you?"

"…I'm, I'm sorry Naruto-kun, but my mistress sees you as a threat and her safety matters above all else," Haku explained pulling out her senbon, "Even what I want."

"But I'm not a threat!" Naruto exclaimed, "I just a doctor and a man what can I do?"

"Please," Haku begged, "come quietly, I don't wish to harm you."

"Okay," Naruto replied quietly, "I don't you want you to hurt me either." Naruto held his closed hands out to her, "Do what you have to."

"Thank you," Haku was grateful that things were going smoothly, "Don't worry I will make-ow!" Haku looked down to see a needle in Naruto's hand, the same kind of needle he used to put Zasuna to sleep. She felt the effects immediately and tried to fight against it, but soon she swooned and her feet felt wobbly.

Naruto caught her as she fell to the ground making sure to gently lay her down, "Sorry, Haku-chan, there are people who need me, but don't worry I won't rat you out. You and Zasuna will be safe I promise." He stayed with her until she passed out then quickly opened the hatch and climbed down. Naruto prayed that she wouldn't be angry with him as he made his way back to Tsunami's house, and now that he gave it some thought he also prayed that Tsunami and the others wouldn't be mad either.

"God damn kunoichi," Naruto paused as heard that familiar voice coming towards him, "make me, ME, walk through these blasted woods to talk to them!"

"Don't worry, Gato, sir," Gato! Crap, Naruto never considered running into that man out here. He panicked and leapt into the nearest bush, "by the end of the week both the bridge builder and his guards, and these two bitches will be dead."

That tidbit piqued Naruto's interest, so he listened with an open ear.

"Yes it was quite ingenious of me," he heard Gato say, "I make both sides fight until they're exhausted and then move in with my army, even a kunoichi of Zasuna's caliber wouldn't be able to fight her way out of that. The best part is neither side will see it coming nor will I have to pay out a single cent."

Naruto nearly bit through his lip as he listened to Gato's plan. He couldn't let that happen, but there was no way he could make it back to Haku and Zasuna's home without alerting Gato and his entourage, which looked quite big from the peek Naruto had taken. Despite how much he hated to, he let Gato pass him by and got back on his way, "Damn you Gato, you won't get away with this."

**xxxXxxx**

**Things are starting to heat up and it seems the story in Wave is coming to a close.**


End file.
